Indian claims busted, probe confirms soldier strayed into Pak ‘knowingly’

KARACHI: The investigations by the Indian authorities into the circumstances in which soldier Chandu Chavan crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) have confirmed that he ‘wilfully’ crossed the LoC after an altercation with his superiors.

A report by Hindustan Times on Thursday revealed that preliminary investigations into the matter contradicted Indian stance that Chandu Chavan had ‘inadvertently’ strayed across the LoC.

Pakistan Army on 21st January returned him to the India authorities at the Wahga border on humanitarian grounds. The ISPR had stated he had deserted his post due to 'grievances of maltreatment' against his superiors, a claim which India earlier had denied.

The sepoy crossed over into Pakistan and surrendered to the Pakistan Army on September 29, 2016, the day the Indian army claimed it had conducted surgical strikes against militants following the attack in Uri that killed 19 soldiers.

Highly placed officials told the newspaper, “Chavan had an argument with his superiors over distribution of duties after which he abandoned his post.”

Lt Gen DS Hooda, Northern Commander, confirmed this to Hindustan Times saying, “I received information that the jawan had gone missing from his post after an argument with the JCO (junior commissioned officer). Soon, we got information that he had gone across.”

Hooda, the northern army commander in September, retired in November-end.

Chavan was posted with 37 Rashtriya Rifles, a unit specifically tasked with manning forward posts on the fence along the Line of Control.

It is unlikely that he would not be aware that Pakistani territory lies across the fence, a senior military official confided to Hindustan Times.

The statement from Pakistan said that the soldier was “convinced to return to his own country” after he deserted his post “due to his grievances of maltreatment against his commanders”.