Army slashes retired Colonel’s pension by half for ‘acts of misconduct’
The cut in pension of Colonel Amit Kumar (retd), with effect from April 2026, was preceded by a show cause notice issued to him in August 2025
Speaking to The Indian Express Col Kumar alleged that the action against him has been initiated by Western Command Headquarters because he has been vehemently raising the “injustice” to his wife. (Representational/AI generated file photo) In a rare disciplinary action, the Army has cut by half the pension of a retired Colonel for allegedly engaging in multiple acts of “grave misconduct”.
The cut in pension of Colonel Amit Kumar (retd), with effect from April 2026, was preceded by a show cause notice issued to him in August 2025, The Indian Express has learnt. Brigadier Sumeet Kohli, Brigadier Officers Record Office (ORO), acting on behalf of the Adjutant General, had issued the show cause notice to Col Kumar, a former officer of the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Branch, who practices law after taking premature retirement from the Army.
Col Kumar has been raising the issue of alleged injustice to his wife, also a Colonel in the JAG Branch, who is facing disciplinary action and has raised serious allegations against senior Army officers.
The notice cited “threatening behaviour, unlawful entry into court of inquiry proceedings, defamatory public commentary against senior military officers and Army security protocols” as some of the reasons for taking action against the Colonel. The notice was issued under Para 9(b)(i) and 9(b)(ii) read with Para 26 of the Pension Regulations for the Army, 2008. The relevant paras deal with the Army’s right to withhold, suspend or discontinue pension.
The show cause notice cites two separate FIRs as key grounds for the action.
One FIR was registered on September 12, 2024 at Ambala Cantonment police station under Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 121(1) (causing hurt to deter a public servant), Section 132 (assault on public servant), Section 221 (obstructing public servant), Section 353(3) (statements conducing to public mischief), and Section 79 (insult to modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. A chargesheet has reportedly been filed in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ambala.
The second FIR was lodged on July 10, 2024 at Dharamshala police station, Himachal Pradesh, under IPC sections 353, 500 (defamation), 186, and 189, relating to alleged obstruction, assault, and intimidation of military officers during a Court of Inquiry involving the officer’s spouse.
The notice states that these actions — described as “threatening behaviour”, “unlawful interference in official proceedings”, and “defamatory public commentary against senior officers and Army protocols” — have been substantiated through official records and ongoing inquiries. It emphasises that pension is granted subject to “future good conduct.”
In his reply, Col Kumar submitted that the notice relied on unverified allegations and pending judicial proceedings and misinterprets Pension Regulations 2008 by bypassing mandatory checks. He added that it appears to support certain senior officers involved in “organised misconduct”, against whom complaints are already pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the District Court, Ambala.
“While custodial torture against my wife remains uninvestigated despite multiple complaints. Instead of addressing gross misconduct by senior officers, the Adjutant General’s Branch appears to be misusing its subordinate branches to suppress evidence and intimidate complainants,” Col Kumar submitted.
Speaking to The Indian Express Col Kumar alleged that the action against him has been initiated by Western Command Headquarters because he has been vehemently raising the “injustice” to his wife who has suffered from mental breakdown even as she remains suspended from service and is getting medical treatment from PGI Chandigarh.
Efforts were made to elicit comments from HQs Western Command on the issue but no reply was received from them despite repeated reminders.
Share
