Lt Gen forced to resign following charges of sexual misconduct

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NEW DELHI: In a major embarrassment for the Army, a Lieutenant General has been forced to resign following allegations of sexual misconduct against him by the wife of an officer during a visit abroad last month.

Army sources said that Lt Gen A K Nanda, the Engineer-in-Chief, was asked to put in his papers by Army Chief Gen V K Singh after a complaint that he molested the wife of his technical secretary during a visit to Israel.

Lt Gen Nanda has already put in his papers, the sources said. He is the senior-most Army officer to face such action over sexual misconduct charges.

Nanda and his team had gone to Israel along with their families, the sources said.

The complaint was filed by the wife of Nanda's technical secretary to Army Chief's wife and the President of the Army Wives Welfare Association Bharti Singh, who promptly put it up before Gen Singh.

After an inquiry into the episode, Singh is believed to have asked Nanda last week to put in his papers and leave.

Nanda had only about a year ago taken over as the Engineer-in-Chief and had earlier served as the Director General of the Border Roads Organisation.

Nanda's technical secretary, who had expressed his displeasure and unwillingness to work under Nanda, has been posted to Bhopal. A new technical secretary, Col Sanjeev Dalal, has taken over the job.

When Nanda's office was contacted, his staff, including Dalal, refused to speak on the matter.

Nanda was not available for comments.