Indian Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat, sent across a strong message for army personnel while talking on the controversial incident surrounding Major Leetul Gogoi of Rashtriya Rifles (RR).

Speaking to reporters, the Army chief said that anyone from the army found guilty of wrongdoing will receive the strictest punishment as per army rules.

“If anyone in Indian Army, at any rank, does any wrong and it comes to our notice then strictest action will be taken,” said the Army chief.

“If Major Gogoi has done something wrong then I can convincingly tell you that he will be given due punishment soon and the punishment will be such that it will set an example,” the General said.

Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi, who had made headlines in 2017 for using a Kashmiri man as human shield in Budgam during last year’s election, was briefly detained on Wednesday, 23 May, by the Jammu-Kashmir police following an altercation at a hotel where he allegedly wanted to enter with an 18-year-old Kashmiri woman.

According to reports, the officer’s driver and the woman were also detained.

Different stories about Gogoi’s detention flooded social media. Some of them alleged that he was arrested while in the company of a girl. However, the police did not confirm what was being circulated on social media.

A statement issued by the J-K Police on Wednesday said, “Today at 1100 Hrs, Police Station Khanyar received a call from Hotel Grand Mamta that an altercation has taken place at the hotel”.

“Accordingly a police party was deputed to the hotel, and it surfaced that a one woman (name withheld) and person namely Sameer Ahmed of Budgam had come to see some person. But the hotel receptions did not allow them to meet the person. Meanwhile police party reached the spot and got all the persons to the police Station”.

“Subsequently it was learnt that the woman had come to meet an army officer. The identity and particulars of the army officer have been collected by the police as well. The officials were handed over to their unit after due recording their statements. The statement of woman is also being recorded for probing the matter”, police said.

The altercation happened on Wednesday morning when Major Gogoi, along with his driver and the woman, tried to check into a Srinagar hotel but was refused entry as the hotel staff were opposed to the presence of the local girl.

The booking was made online in the name of Leetul Gogoi for two guests for one night, a police official who did not wish to be named told PTI.

A probe has been ordered by Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) Swayam Prakash Pani to be headed by Superintendent of Police (North).

According to reports, the Major claimed that he was meeting a ‘source’.