New Delhi: A military court has stayed the promotion board of Lieutenant Generals belonging to the Army Air Defence on the plea of a Major General who was denied his next rank, due to a new policy under which even minor offences awarded in the last 10 years can be taken into account for denying promotions to officers. 

“The court has asked the defence ministry against declassifying the results of the promotion board of officers from the Corps of Army Air Defence for the rank of Lieutenant General till further orders,” Maj SS Pandey, the counsel of Maj Gen Subodh Kumar said. 

Maj Gen Kumar has been denied promotion to the rank of Lt Gen recently as the Army cited that he was awarded a ‘non-recordable censure’ two years ago for a procedural lapse during his posting as Additional Director General (NCC).

In the initial stages of the case, the officer had even argued that the punishment awarded to him was not supposed to be taken on record and how it could be used against him but had to ultimately take his case to the Armed Forces Tribunal. 

Recently, a senior Lieutenant General had also lost out on his chance to be promoted as a Commander-in-Chief due to the new rule under which the force can take cognizance of even minor punishments awarded to them in the last ten years while deciding on their career progression. 

The senior officer was due to promoted as Army Commander and his name was even sent to the Ministry of Defence for promotion to the rank of Army commander.

The new policy was brought in by the Army late last year with an aim of putting in place a stringent disciplinary policy.