Key Points
The reportedly heated exchange between the Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir over the action taken by the Chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces Lt Gen Herzi Halevi against some troops who had filmed themselves reciting Jewish prayers in a mosque in Jenin is worth mentioning here.. Public perception & military justice ..
The present case of torture has therefore been linked to the case of Captain Bhoopendra Singh, who engineered a false encounter in the Shopian area of Kashmir and killed three innocent labourers belonging to the Rajouri-Poonch area in 2020..
Yes, they may lack the legal acumen but that is why all courts martials, except the Summary Court Martial where the Commanding Officer is solely empowered, has a legal expert for advice..
There is a case for a holistic review of the military justice system, particularly to establish a common legal code for the three Services currently governed by separate Acts..
May the regrettable Poonch incident serve the purpose of disabusing the public perception that military personnel typically get away with murder in insurgency areas..
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