Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

THREE high-ranking Indian army officers face a disciplinary inquiry for allegedly indulging in “misconduct and inappropriate behaviour” while on holiday in South Africa after a South African woman laid rape charges against them.

Although the Pretoria-based woman has withdrawn the charge, the incident was deemed a major embarrassment to India’s proud peacekeeping record, according to the Times of India. The report said the officers had been recalled from their posting with the Indian contingent deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the UN peacekeeping mission.

The three Indian officers – a lieutenant colonel and two majors – had been deployed to the North Kivu Brigade.

They were detained by police on March 12 while on holiday in South Africa, after a 20-year-old woman accused them of raping her in Plettenberg Bay.

“We have ordered an inquiry into the incident,” Defence Minister A K Antony is quoted as saying. Sources said Antony had asked army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor to take “strict action” against the three officers if the allegations proved justifiable.

Although the report said the incident had come to light during a meeting with a South African delegation on defence co-operation in New Delhi, this was denied by South African High Commission defence adviser, Col Sydney Mdlulwa. He said he did not know whether the men had been recalled.

He told the Herald that the meeting on defence co-operation had dealt with a memorandum of understanding on training and other military issues.

He said the 11-man delegation had been led by the SANDF’s chief of strategy, policy and planning, Tsepe Motumi, on March 13 and 14.

Vikas Swarup, India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Pretoria, confirmed the consulate had sent a report to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

He told the Herald they had been contacted by Plettenberg Bay police after the three army officers had been arrested.

Swarup said the High Commission had sought consular access to the three Indian nationals.

He said officials from the consulate general in Johannesburg had been sent to Plettenberg Bay to meet the three Indian men the next day.

“Before the consular representatives could reach the officers, they had been informed by the police that the rape charges had been withdrawn,” said Swarup. He said the officers had been released and had returned to their unit. Swarup said it was up to the authorities in New Delhi to take any further action.

“As far as we are concerned, the case is closed,” he said.