DNA Mumbai article dated 3/7/08 about Lieutenant colonel Akash Sachan

Mayura Janwalkar
Thursday
, July 03, 2008 02:59 IST DNA Mumbai

Lieutenant colonel Akash Sachan, 41, moved Bombay High Court on Wednesday,
claiming that he had been victimised for blowing the whistle on an alleged
deal of substandard equipment supplied to the Indian Army.

Sachan told the court that he was handed an untimely transfer from Mumbai to
Jabalpur for exposing senior officers involved in the contract, which
allowed purchases from unauthorised equipment suppliers. He contended that
since the quality of equipment, used by jawans posted at borders in sub-zero
temperatures, was being compromised by the director general of quality
assurance (DGQA) of the Army, it posed a risk to the soldiers and to the
citizens.

Sachan pleaded with the court to quash his transfer order of June 17 — he
is supposed to finish his tenure at the DGQA in Vikhroli in December. He
also urged the court to constitute a committee to probe the alleged
illegalities within the DGQA Justice SB Mhase and Justice AA Kumbhakoni on
Wednesday said that the court did not wish to interfere with matters
concerning internal transfers within the Army.

However, they issued a notice to the Army to come before the court, and
adjourned the case till July 16.

Sachan, however, would have to abide by his transfer order and report to his
post in Jabalpur on July 4. The petitioner, who joined the Army in 1986,
said that he had uncovered the conspiracy hatched between "very senior
officers" heading the Defence Quality Assurance Organisation and Sharma
Enterprises, a Pune-based private firm.

The illegal deal, said Sanchan, "led to a serious undermining of the
defence
and fighting capabilities of the nation and jeopardised lives of jawans and
officers guarding our frontiers."

According to Sanchan's petition, he detected irregularities in non-skid
chains and mudguards — the former used in high altitude snow-bound areas to
prevent skidding of defence vehicles and the latter in desert. "The
material
failure of such chains may cause not only massive loss of lives and
property, but also undermine the defence preparedness of our brave armed
forces." Sachan said.

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