Major Singla granted bail

Major Singla had filed for bail before the AFT on Wednesday challenging the findings and sentence awarded by the GCM. She had also sought suspension of the proceedings alleging interference by the then Judge Advocate General during pre-trial proceedings. Major Singla alleged she was not given adequate opportunity to defend herself during the proceedings and asserted that some of her defence witnesses were not allowed to be examined by the GCM.

Major Singla was recently convicted by the GCM and sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment on corruption charges. She was confined at 474 Engineer Brigade,Zirakpur.

The case so far

* March 8,1997: Major Dimple Singla commissioned in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch of the Army

* March 7,2007: Retired from the JAG branch

* August 3,2005: A news item appeared in which it was alleged that her husband Ashish Pathak influenced the court martial proceedings,in which the petitioner was deputed as Judge Advocate General

* August 5,2005: Court of inquiry convened

* October 26,2005: Court of inquiry concluded without permitting her to conclude cross-examination

* October 24,2005: Court of inquiry convened again and her statement was recorded. It concluded after two days

* April 15,2006: The prosecution examined seven witnesses during the course of summary evidence

* February 21,2007: She was chargesheeted for holding the GCM on February 26,2007

* April 14,2007: Major Singla (retired) filed preliminary objection before the GCM,questioning the jurisdiction and authority to hold the same

* May 7,2007: The GCM passed impugned order rejecting her jurisdiction plea

* December 2,2009: The GCM was convened and the order rejecting the plea of jurisdiction was passed

* December 17,2009: GCM proceedings since the prosecution witnesses were not available for December 27,2009

* December 29,2009: She left the hospital without being discharged and informing anybody leading to her close arrest warrants issued the same day

* January 17 and January 23,2010: She wrote to the convening authority reiterating that she would attend the court martial proceedings,whenever the date was fixed

* January 27,2010: The Chandigarh bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal directed her to appear before the GCM on February 1 and denied her plea of not arresting her

* January 28,2010: She again wrote to convening authority to not arrest her

* February 1,2010: The GCM reassembled and she was arrested

* March 3,2010: GCM convicted her of corruption charges and she was sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment

* March 10,2010: She filed an appeal before Chandigarh Bench of Armed Forces Tribunal challenging the decision of the GCM along with request for bail

* March 11,2010: The Chandigarh Bench of AFT granted her bail and adjourned the case to July 14.