The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant any relief to Lt. General P K Rath,indicted in the multi-crore Sukna land scandal. Noting that officers found guilty of corruption by an Army inquiry cannot appeal to the court,it asked Rath to approach the Armed Forces Tribunal if he wanted to challenge the proceedings against him. Jurisdiction of this court is barred by the Armed Forces Tribunal Act. In view of this,the petition is dismissed with liberty to petitioner to approach the tribunal, noted the Division Bench headed by Justice Geeta Mittal. Rath had appealed to the High Court against his indictment in the scandal. He wanted the court to stop the Armys Court of Inquiry against him. He had also objected to the Armys decision to recall his posting as Deputy Chief of Army Staff. Rath was indicted along with former Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash in the over Rs 300-crore Sukna land scandal. The scandal involves the sale of 71 acres of land adjacent to Sukna military station in West Bengal for which the Army had issued an NOC to a private realtor.
