An Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Saturday dismissed Captain Poonam Kaur of the Army Service Corps (ASC) from service for levelling false allegations of sexual harassment against her seniors.

The GCM, conducted at 5-Armoured Regiment in Patiala, indicted Capt Kaur on several other counts as well, including disobeying the orders of her Commanding Officer (CO), for providing false information to get married accommodation in Kalka and for addressing the media to discuss her service matters in contravention of Army rules.

Kaur was, however, acquitted of the charge of “having an unbecoming conduct and character” and with regard to allegations of her having physical relations with her former driver Sepoy Sunil Kumar.

Capt Poonam Kaur of ASC had, during her Kalka posting (beginning in October 2007), charged her Commanding Officer Colonel R K Sharma, besides two other officers Lt Col Ajay Chawla and Major Suraj Bhan with physically and mentally harassing her after she turned down their physical advances. A Court of Inquiry subsequently set up by the Army had found Capt Kaur guilty on 20 counts last July. A General Court Martial was later held in Patiala, where Capt Kaur was attached with the 5 Armoured Regiment.

While Capt Poonam Kaur was not available for comment, her counsel Col (retd) S K Aggarwal told The Sunday Express, “The Army has tried to convey a message that women officers should not level such allegations against their senior officers and that such things do not happen again.”