Guwahati/Shillong: Court-martialled thrice and dismissed from service twice, a soldier of the Assam Rifles, who was sent to jail last year on several charges, has been granted bail.
An Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) in Guwahati on Tuesday granted bail to Haider Ali, who was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment on October 5 last year by a court martial which found him guilty on five charges.
Hailing from Saharsa district of Bihar, he was facing charges of physically hurting his commanding officer, writing to higher civil authorities on the grievances of the Assam Rifles jawans, violating military discipline and initiating a signature campaign, Ali’s lawyer Raghavendra Jha told PTI.
“The general court martial dismissed him from service and had awarded five years RI. We challenged the judgement on the ground that the accused was charged under the Army Act even though the Assam Rifles Act was in force,” Jha said.
An Assam Rifles official said the soldier was a ‘rebel’ since the very beginning and all actions taken against him were in accordance with law and military discipline.
He was then sent to the central jail in Imphal on October 5 last year. (PTI)
