In Brief
A soldier of the 3 Rashtriya Rifles was charged with cowardice under the Army Act after abandoning his post during a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2006, failing to use his weapons even as a colleague was killed and the Light Machine Gun was seized. He claimed he jumped the wall to retaliate and became unconscious from a gunshot wound. The Summary General Court Martial dismissed him and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment. The Supreme Court upheld his dismissal, finding his unconsciousness claim incredible and holding that soldiers must be judged by stricter standards and cannot rest on past service records. However, considering his gunshot injury and time lapse, the Court set aside the imprisonment order.
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