Indian Coast Guard DIG to be court-martialed

The deputy inspector general of the Indian Coast Guard is to face a general court-martial next month. The case grows out of an incident in which, contrary to representations by the Indian government, DIG B.K. Loshali stated that the Coast Guard intentionally destroyed a Pakistani fishing vessel. Details here. Excerpt:

The Board of Inquiry was instituted in February after the Coast Guard found Loshali’s reply to the show-cause notice issued to him “unsatisfactory”. The notice was issued to him over remarks that he had ordered the Pakistani boat to be blown up off the Porbandar coast.

The Board had submitted its report to the Coast Guard headquarters in April-end after which it was studied at various levels. “The BoI had called for strict action. The general court martial proceedings against Loshali will start in September,” a defence source said.

Asked about the content of the report, sources said unedited video showed that Loshali did make the assertion that he had ordered the boat to be blown up, contrary to the denial he made later.

They added “suitable action will be taken” and that he will face strict action. Loshali had contradicted the government’s claim that the crew of the intruding Pakistani boat had themselves set the vessel ablaze, leading to an explosion that caused the vessel to sink.