The government has decided to sack Commodore Sukhjinder Singh of the Indian Navy for misconduct after photographs of him in a compromising position with a Russian woman had surfaced last year.
When asked about the matter on Saturday, defence minister A.K. Antony said, “We have already taken the decision. He (Cmdre Sukhjinder Singh) will be discharged (from service). He will not be in service again.” The photographs were apparently taken when Cmdre Singh was posted in Russia from 2005 to 2008. Cmdre Singh had worked on the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier refitting project in Russia.
The probe by the Navy had focused on two aspects. One was the misconduct indulged in by the officer while the second was whether this had any impact on the Admiral Gorshkov price negotiation since Cmdre Singh was also earlier part of the cost negotiation committee set up to decide the final price of the carrier that India is acquiring from Russia. The Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier is to be inducted into the Navy after re-fitting work is completed in Russia. When asked about the second aspect, Mr Anthony refused to elaborate but defence sources had earlier stated that the officer was involved in “an act of loose moral conduct” regarding his relationship with a Russian woman but that there was no evidence that this had any impact on his responsibilities in the cost negotiation committee.
Last year, Navy sources had stated, “The Indian Navy has received information about a senior naval officer who has been involved in an act of loose moral conduct. The Navy has instituted an enquiry to establish whether this had any influence on the performance of his official duties. The preliminary indications are that the involvement has been at a personal level.”