National News
Even under extreme emotional provocation, army personnel must yield to military discipline, rules AFT
Jammu, Aug 23: The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has held that excessive force cannot be used against civilians, asserting that a soldier, even under extreme emotional provocation, must yield to military discipline.
The apex military tribunal made the observation as it upheld a “severe displeasure” censure awarded to former Rashtriya Rifles sector commander, Brigadier Padmasambhava Acharya, over the December 2023 custodial deaths of three civilians in Dera Ki Gali in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
It has also held that excessive force cannot be used against civilians.
“Excessive force was used in violation of the law. It was, thus, a failure of command and control function. Failure to stop use of excessive force and failure to pass clear directions were the direct fallout thereof,” it said.
Noting that ‘the troops involved in follow-up operations face a dilemma. Having lost their brothers in arms and that too in a brutal manner, makes their blood boil and development of emotions of revenge is quite natural”, it said: “On the other hand is discipline, instilled by rigorous training, commanding them to exercise restraint and scrupulously follow plans to trace the culprits.
“Even in war, the Indian soldier is known for his discipline and adherence to the Geneva Conventions is the rule,” the AFT order said.
The tribunal, however, has directed authorities not to maintain a record of the punishment in the officer’s file as the two-year penalty period has elapsed and ceased to be operative.
Dismissing the plea of Brigadier Acharya, the tribunal held that even under intense emotional provocation following the loss of comrades in counter-insurgency operations, human emotions must yield to military discipline, constitutional mandates, and strict human rights safeguards.
However, while addressing the specific policy provisions governing military censures, the tribunal directed the authorities not to maintain a record of the disciplinary action in the officer’s administrative file, treating it as an exception limited strictly to the facts of the case.
“This is a direction based on the facts of the instant case only and is not to be treated as a precedent or an exposition of the law,” the tribunal said in its order passed recently.
Referring to the Defence Ministry’s policy dated October 30, 2023, which stipulates that while a censure awarded to an officer typically remains part of his administrative record for 10 years, to be shared with selection and promotion boards, a “Severe Displeasure” issued by a Corps Commander remains operative for a maximum period of two years, the AFT said that the censure awarded to Brigadier Acharya on July 8, 2024.
The case relates to an operation launched on December 21, 2023, when a military convoy was ambushed near Dera Ki Gali (DKG), leaving four soldiers dead.
The bodies of two of the dead soldiers were also mutilated. In the subsequent search operations, sub-units rounded up local civilian suspects for questioning to gather actionable intelligence.
During interrogation at the Company Operating Base in Mastan Dhara, three civilian suspects succumbed to their injuries. A Court of Inquiry convened by HQ 16 Corps led to administrative action against Brigadier Acharya, the then commander of 13 Sector RR, for failing to exercise proper command and control, improper handling of civilians and failing to prevent excessive force.
Challenging the two-year censure issued by the General Officer Commanding of 16 Corps, the officer had argued that senior commanders, including the Corps Commander and the GOC of counter-insurgency force ‘Romeo’, were present at the DKG control room during the operations and should share responsibility.
He had also contended that the Corps Commander had acted as a judge in his own cause.
Rejecting these arguments, the tribunal clarified the operational hierarchy of field forces, ruling that direct command and control over ground operations rests with the commanding officer and the sector commander.
Higher commanders visiting forward control rooms to gain situational awareness do not exercise micro-level executive control over sub-unit tactical interrogations.
Citing landmark Supreme Court verdicts, the bench reiterated that internal-security duties require a distinct approach from conventional warfare, emphasising that Army guidelines strictly prohibiting physical force or third-degree methods during interrogation are legally-binding orders that must be scrupulously followed.
The Armed Forces Tribunal is based in Chandimandir, the headquarters of the Army’s Western Command, in Haryana’s Panchkula, adjacent to Chandigarh.
New Delhi, Sep 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting President Vladimir Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural on Friday is another example of his efforts at putting forward India’s heritage and culture before the rest of the world.
“This is not the first time PM Modi has taken our culture global!” said ‘Modi Story’, an initiative to bring forward the Prime Minister’s work and thoughts through the eyes of those who have caught a glimpse into his life.
The social media post on Saturday was in reference to him presenting President Putin with a Russian translation of the composition which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.
The Russian President is in India to participate in the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, now underway in New Delhi.
The composition is a timeless work on ethics, politics, and love, among those by the celebrated figure in Tamil literature and philosophy, who is also referred as Valluvar.
“Back at the 2019 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, PM Modi spearheaded an initiative to translate 10 modern Indian works into Russian, Chinese, and English so regional literature could reach global audiences,” it added, quoting a statement from K. Sreenivasan, former Secretary of Sahitya Academy.
The 19th SCO Summit was then held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, focusing on regional security, economic cooperation, and multilateral diplomacy.
“He (PM Modi) has created space for Indian culture, Indian literature, Indian languages, (where) though we’re creating excellent literary works, we’re not able to showcase it before the world,” Sreenivasan said in a video attached with the social media post.
“Then, in 2020, we contacted the External Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and then made a list of 10 books to be translated in the three languages,” he added.
It was in 2020-2021 when the Summit was held under India’s chairmanship — it was the time of the pandemic and the meeting had to be held virtually — that the books were released, he also said.
Prime Minister Modi then announced that the country had achieved what he had set out to do.
“I want to say this to tell how he is concerned about Indian literature, Indian languages even in the international platform,” Sreenivasan stressed.
The social media post reminded that earlier, during President Putin’s India visit in December 2025, Prime Minister Modi had gifted him a Russian edition of the Bhagavad Gita.
“PM Modi’s cultural diplomacy is a masterclass in putting Indian heritage front and centre on the world stage!” it added.
Kolkata, Sep 12: A man in West Bengal South 24 Parganas district has been arrested for sexually assaulting his 13-year-old daughter, police said on Saturday.
According to the police, the elder daughter had filed a complaint against her father with the Baruipar police. She claimed that she left home due to sexual assault, which she was subjected to by her father, and alleged that he was doing the same to her younger sister. Based on that complaint, officers of Baruipur Women Police Station have arrested the accused.
According to the police, the arrested person is a hawker by profession.
Allegedly, in December last year, the accused’s elder daughter was subjected to physical abuse. She left home in anger and fear. The younger daughter alleged that her father’s misbehaviour was not resolved even after she informed her mother. The mother kept quiet even after knowing everything.
It is alleged that after the elder daughter left home, the father continued to sexually assault the younger daughter. The ‘victim’ claimed that this had been happening for the past few months. She said that there was no situation to tell anyone. She spoke to her sister on the phone. After that, both sisters informed their mother. Even after that, the mother remained silent and refused to accept their allegations.
Incidentally, the accused’s elder daughter called 100 and informed the police about the matter. Based on that, officers of Baruipur Women Police Station arrested the accused from the Kulpi Road area last night. A case has been registered against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Police have applied for his custody to investigate the matter further.
“Based on the complaint by the daughter, the father has been arrested. We will seek his custody to interrogate him further. Investigation is on, and all the allegations are being looked into,” a senior officer of Baruipur Police District said.
New Delhi, Sep 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday shared moments of warm camaraderie with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the three leaders were seen holding hands and exchanging smiles during the BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Sharing the sidelights on his X, PM Modi posted: “BRICS Summit 2026 gets underway in Delhi”.
The visuals and photographs echoed a similar display of camaraderie between PM Modi, Putin, and Xi during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Bishkek last month, where the three leaders smiled and shook hands on August 31. The moment unfolded during the official family photograph, an established tradition at the annual SCO gathering.
The 2025 SCO Plus Summit in Tianjin on August 31-September 1 had also produced several notable visuals of the three leaders. PM Modi’s embrace with Putin, his walk alongside Xi and Putin, and his interactions with both leaders highlighted the personal bonhomie shared between the top leaders.
The latest visuals from New Delhi came after PM Modi welcomed BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the 18th BRICS Summit.
PM Modi warmly received President Putin, President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other leaders at the Bharat Mandapam ahead of the Summit.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Saturday and Sunday (September 12-13), bringing together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees.
India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme: ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of ‘Humanity First’, according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
In his welcome remarks at the opening BRICS session on ‘Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism’ in New Delhi on Saturday, PM Modi extended a warm welcome to BRICS leaders and said that India’s BRICS chairship is based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach.
“Resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability have been our priorities. Alongside these priorities, we have placed special emphasis on connecting BRICS cooperation with the common people. With this vision in mind, more than 350 meetings were organised. We had the opportunity to welcome your teams to approximately 30 cities,” highlighted PM Modi.
He emphasised that BRICS has established a distinct identity on the global stage and said that the bloc is not against anyone and must work to move forward with the approach of taking everyone along. He called for the establishment of a ‘BRICS Continuity and Implementation’ mechanism.
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