Army officer dismissed from service

A senior army officer was on Monday dismissed from service for indiscipline, but was acquitted by an army court of the charge of raping a woman and her daughter in Kashmir on November 6, 2004.

Major Rehman Hussain of 30 Rashtriya Rifles was acquitted of the rape charge following a negative DNA report.

The general court martial proceedings against Major Rehman began at Uri on December 20 last year.

He was tried on five counts, including rape and molestation of Aaisha Begum and her daughter Shabnum Rashid, on the intervening night of November 6/7 at Bhadra Payeen in Kupwara district.

"Major Rahman was found not guilty of charges of 

rape and outraging the modesty of the woman. He was found guilty of other charges in varying degrees and awarded punishment of dismissal from service," said a defence press release in Srinagar.

"The findings and sentence have been announced by the court as being subject to confirmation by superior authority. The case has thus been decided by the army court promptly and based solely on merits and evidence of the trial," the statement added.

The GCM proceedings headed by Brigadier Syed Ata Hasnain, the Uri brigade commander, followed massive protests by residents of village Badra Payeen in Handwara tehsil of Kupwara district.