This could have been another Indo-Pak war, Center tells Delhi HC

Additional Solicitor General, Chetan Sharma, appeared for the government and expressed that the incident could spark a war with Pakistan due to negligence in the discharge of duty. Air Force He said such incidents cannot be ignored as they embarrass India even before the international community.

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The officer who approached the court argued that the accident happened during a simulation exercise and he was only responsible for maintenance and not for firing the missile. He claimed that only the CO and the training officer were responsible for the operation of the missile and the action taken against them was wrong.

He further said that during interrogation he was not aware of the allegations against him and that he had no experience in operating the missile or dealing with its emergencies. Therefore, he requested the court to order his reinstatement on the job.

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The US Director of National Intelligence in its annual Threat Assessment Report had earlier warned of a possible conflict between India and Pakistan. The report expressed concern over the possibility of India retaliating against Pakistan in the event of a terrorist attack on India or “violent unrest in Kashmir” by extremist groups based in Pakistan. The report cited the risk of an “escalating cycle between two nuclear-armed states” as a particular concern.

The report acknowledges that Pakistan has a history of supporting extremist groups, raising the possibility of India responding with military force. Leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he sees as a provocation by Pakistan. The report warned that rising tensions on both sides could increase the risk of conflict, with terrorist attacks in Kashmir or India as potential flashpoints.