Indian Army soldier Chandu Chavan, who had accidentally crossed into Pakistan in 2016, said he was quitting the forces due to continued harassment ever since returned home, PTI reported on Saturday. The Indian Army, however, refuted his allegations and claimed that he was a perpetual offender and five disciplinary hearings were initiated against him for several violations.

“Since I came back from Pakistan, I have been continuously harassed in the Army and I am being looked at with suspicion, that is why I decided to quit,” Chavan said. The soldier was tortured for four months in Pakistan before the Pakistan Rangers, who had captured him, handed him over to Indian authorities.

Chavan has reportedly sent his resignation letter to his unit head in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, unidentified officials told PTI.

The Army statement said that Chavan had absconded after his unit launched disciplinary proceedings against him and that he was found in an inebriated condition in the unit lines recently. The solder was declared “absent without leave” from October 3 and multiple counselling and rehabilitation efforts failed due to his “lackadaisical and complacent attitude”, the statement said.

“The Army will under no circumstances accept indiscipline of this nature,” the Indian Army said in the statement on Saturday evening. “The unit has also not received any request for premature discharge.” The Army said the Dhule administration in Maharashtra had complained about him campaigning before the Lok Sabha elections.

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