Thank you..
Maybe
@Xeric would like to comment on this.
My dear, the Army Act, which BTW is followed in Indian Army as the Act is nothing but the chappa of pre-partition British Military Act, is absolutely clear that a serviceman can be reinstated for the purpose of trial if the act was committed during his duty days.
That's the 'perk' you have when you serve a military.
Just to explain further, answer me this:
Let's say Mr A was an employee of a private company, like let's say Pepsi. Mr A screwed Pepsi while he was there, and now he is retired. Later, Pepsi finds out that he had fucked them in the past, now what would Pepsi do? Would spare him because he has retired? No! It will take him to a civilian court and get him to pay back! That's because Pepsi itself dont have the right or powers to try him. So, where does the 'rights' of Mr A stand if he is still tried in a civilian court after retirement?
But as military of every country has sanctioned powers by their respective governments to try their men according to their (comparatively stricter) laws, so when it revealed that someone who did wrong has retired, the military can always get him back if the case warrants so. Stopping pensions, cancelling post-retirement Rank and Stature privileges like plots, land, military decorations is another way of doing it if the crime is a non-serious type. In this case, would you still say that as the culprit had retired and if the military still cancels his post-retirement privileges, it again is against the culprit's rights?
Reinstating them is exactly the same thing, just the next level of punishment as the crime was a serious one.
Reinstating him is also necessary that unlike a civilian court, military cannot send in the police to make an ex-soldier appear in a (military) court. Also, once reinstated, the dude will have to follow military discipline or else he can be further tried for breach of discipline in addition to his original charge.
Conversely, Pepsi cant cancel post retirement privileges because it did not give any, so it can only take the culprit to a civilian court. However, as all militaries give pensions etc, so it can also stop/cancel it, and further if required, can get the dude back and try him.
i hope this clears it up.
If you remember, an ex-Naval Chief of ours was stripped off his rank, matlab he was no more Admiral Retired XYZ, but just Mr XYZ because he was involved in a corruption scandal. When you see it from the military's point of view, it's a huge punishment, and an insult.
So, civvies and military both dont spare anyone who has retired, just that, people have more 'love' for military and that normally this requires 'reinstatement', so the hue and cry is comparatively more.