Acknowledging the UN report, the Army has said that it will “corroborate or augment” its inquiry into the issue with the OIOS investigation. “It has also been learnt that the OIOS of the UN has also conducted an inquiry into the matter. We would seek the details of this inquiry to corroborate/ augment the internal inquiry being conducted by the Indian Army,” the officer said.

While Indian Blue Helmets have been charged for a series of aberrations in Congo over the past year, this is by far the most serious allegation against Indian peacekeepers anywhere in the world.

In July, a Colonel posted at the mission was brought under investigation for making statements in support of a rebel group. The UN had initiated an internal inquiry against Colonel Chand Saroha for expressing sympathy for the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) at a public function in April.

As reported by The Indian Express, a UN investigation had also found that Indian peacekeepers in Congo illegally detained, physically assaulted and “sexually propositioned” a local gold trader who had allegedly sold them counterfeit gold dust.

The three Army personnel identified as “JCO Deepak Singh Nayal , Sergeant Suresh Pandurang Bodhak and Lt Col Talum Duby” were also found guilty by an Army court of inquiry earlier this year. The Indian contingent has been charged with a series of allegations, like gun running and having connections with local militia, that have all been dismissed as a “malicious media campaign” by the Army.