56 armymen indicted in Nyoma face-off case

An Army Court of Inquiry has indicted 56 personnel including the Commanding Officer of an artillery unit, whose officers and men clashed in Nyoma in Ladakh in May last year.

56 personnel have been indicted by the CoI held under Brigadier Ajay Talwar and disciplinary action has been recommended against more than 10 of them, sources said in New Delhi.

The indicted personnel, who include five officers, will face either disciplinary or administrative action for failure of command and control, assault, indiscipline and other lapses, they said.

The CoI was completed in the first week of December and its findings have been submitted to the 14 Corps Headquarters in Leh, which is going through it, Army sources said.

The CoI had examined 220 witnesses, including officers, JCOs and other ranks, besides five civilians.

In May last year, three officers and eight jawans, including the Commanding Officer of 226 Field Regiment, were injured in the fracas at Mahe firing range near Nyoma on May 26.

215 witnesses including five officers, 21 JCOs and 189 jawans have been examined as witnesses in the Nyoma case in which officers and jawans were involved in a face-off.  

The men and the officers had clashed during a firing practice session where women were also present without proper authorisation.