Fake gunfight case haunts Bikram Singh, govt to probe

New Delhi: The defence ministry has taken cognizance of media reports about allegations against Lt Gen Bikram Singh, who is the front-runner for the post of next army chief, and asked a senior official to look into them. The official will go into the matter and also take note of the timing of the surfacing of these reports, sources said in New Delhi.[caption id=“attachment_179258” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Lt Gen Bikram Singh. Image courtesy Indian Army”]  [/caption] Lt Gen Bikram Singh, who heads the Eastern Command, is a front-runner for the post of next army chief after the incumbent General VK Singh retires on 31 May. The government has also shortlisted Northern Army Commander Lt Gen KT Parnaik and Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Krishna Singh in the panel to succeed Gen VK Singh. Lt Gen Bikram Singh has been accused of staging a fake encounter by the mother of an alleged militant killed in firing by Rashtriya Rifles personnel in South Kashmir’s Anantnag town in March 2001. The petition by Zaituna, the mother of the alleged militant, has prompted the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to issue notice to the state government and the defence ministry seeking their response. Lt Gen Bikram Singh, then a Brigadier, was heading the 5 Sector Rashtriya Rifles headquartered in Janglat Mandi in Anantnag. The defence ministry official will also look into a media report which has suggested that a MP had written a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office questioning Bikram Singh’s suitability to lead the Army on the ground that his daughter in-law is allegedly from Pakistan. PTI