OROP Activist Arrested For Alleged Financial Irregularities In Welfare Organisation

OROP Activist Arrested For Alleged Financial Irregularities In Welfare Organisation

NEW DELHI: A retired officer of the Indian Air Force, Wing Commander C K Sharma — a prominent face in the campaign for One Rank One Pension Scheme — has been arrested for alleged financial irregularities in connection with an organisation for veterans and their widows.

The Wing Commander was the treasurer of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement or IESM. The police said he will be produced in court tomorrow.

In a Facebook post, his daughter Nisha Sharma said: “My father Wing Commander CK Sharma (Retd) has been very active in OROP fight… 5 police men just half hour ago barged into parents house, threw his phone away ans physically picked him and carried him away (sic).”

Lieutenant General Raj Kadian (Retd), also a prominent face in the OROP movement, told NDTV that the arrest was made following his complaint to the police and court in 2013 and 2015.

“I had filed complaint in 2013… I feel bad to have had complained against my colleagues,” but “I had duty” towards the larger community of ex- servicemen, he told NDTV.

Major General Satbir Singh, the face behind the continuing OROP agitation, could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.

Contradicting General Kadiayan, IESM, in a social media post, said the arrest was “despite” an order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court against “arbitrary action” by the police.

Last September, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced that OROP will be implemented from July 2014, fulfilling a four-decade demand of the armed forces. OROP, the minister said, would cost the exchequer between Rs. 8000- 10,000 crore “at present and will increase in the future.”

The first tranche of the OROP payments have already been made. A section of the veterans, however, have been holding on demanding equalisation of pension every year as against every 5 years as proposed by the government.

The movement, however, lost traction among a large section of retired soldiers after last September’s announcement.

Source : NDTV