SHILLONG: Director General of Assam Rifles (DGAR) Rameshwar Roy said the Army personnel are like any other common man.
“If they are guilty of any wrongdoing they are liable for a trial. We need to understand they are also bound by the laws of the land. Above that they are also bound by the Army’s own laws,” Roy was reacting to an allegation by the Meghalaya State Women Commission (MSCW) that the army authorities are trying to protect their own people accused of crimes against women.
“They are never questioned in a police station since it would demean the army. If there is a necessity the police would normally come to question the army personnel in the respective army headquarters,” the DGAR told reporters here on Saturday.
When asked about the summons served by the MSCW on army personnel, he said it would be difficult on his part to comment on the directive of the Commission since he is not aware under what rules it was created.
Earlier on Friday, the MSCW had alleged that uniformed personnel of the armed forces in the State try to demean the proceedings of the Commission and that army officers pay no heed to the summons served by the Commission.
According to the complaints lodged in the past three years, MSCW had informed that there are 34 cases related to the Central forces of which three were rape cases and the rest included – physical and mental torture, cheating, physical harassment, domestic violence etc.
The Commission questioned the reliability of the men in uniform saying, “Those who are duty bound to protect the country from such crimes are themselves committing it.”