Coast Guard Deputy Inspector General (DIG) BK Loshali, who had claimed that he had ordered the blowing up of a Pakistani boat in February, has been dismissed as his comments contradicted the government's official stand, said reports.
"He was dismissed from services after the Board of Inquiry found him guilty of all the charges on Saturday. The inquiry was conducted by a panel of senior DIG-rank officers for over three months," PTI quoted a senior Coast Guard official as saying.
The Pakistani vessel, said to be carrying explosives, was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard off the Gujarat coast on 31, December 2014. The boat exploded and sank along with its four occupants.
Though the government said the vessel was set on fire by its crew, Loshali claimed he had ordered that the boat be blown up, embarrassing the government and the Coast Guard.
"(On) 31st December night. I was there at Gandhinagar, and I told at night, blow the boat off. We don't want to serve them biryani," Loshali had said.
Following the statement, Loshali was removed from the position of North West Chief of Staff and moved to the Gandhinagar-based regional headquarters.
Later, a Board of Inquiry was constituted to investigate the issue for more than three months, and he was subsequently court-martialled.
