ISLAMABAD An Indian Army Major has been terminated from service for possessing and sharing classified information.
According to reporter, the Major, who was posted with the Strategic Forces Command, which handles India’s nuclear arsenal, was found guilty of keeping classified information on his phone in violation of the security protocol, Indian media quoting sources in the defence and security establishment reported. He was placed under suspension last year.
The reports said, the Major was part of WhatsApp group called ‘Patiala Peg’, where reportedly unauthorised conversation took place. As per reports, twenty other officers are in the group. These officers, including a Brigadier-rank official, are undergoing a probe for separate reasons but connected to ‘Patiala Peg’. The Major’s mobile phone was seized and analysed as part of a probe where the WhatsApp group was found.
The reports said that the Indian Army had initiated a probe into the Major’s activities in March 2022 when authorities concerned came ac
ross his alleged involvement in suspicious activities, including possessing and sharing of sensitive information.
They said the President, who is also the supreme commander of the three services, signed the order terminating the services of the Major around a week ago while exercising powers under the Army Act, 1950. The termination order was issued in mid-September and it was notified following the President’s approval