Army punishes jawan who misbehaved with tourists

In a swift action, the army said on Tuesday it had taken 'strict disciplinary action against soldiers who had misbehaved with tourists in the south Kashmir's health resort of Pahalgam on Monday.'

A defence spokesman in Srinagar said that the corps commander, Lt Gen S A Hasnain 'ordered a fast track enquiry into the incident, which found the jawan guilty of unsoldierly conduct which has tarnished the name of the army.'

 The spokesman, Lt Col J S Brar in a statement said, "Further the corps commander has passed explicit directions to rank and file to maintain the highest standards of conduct and ensure that such incidents, although an aberration, are never repeated again."

Police sources in Srinagar said soldiers had roughed up a tourist couple from Rajasthan in Pahalgam on Monday.

Last week army soldiers had searched three hotels in Leh in the cold desert region of Ladakh.

The searches triggered a controversy with the state police filing a case against the troopers.