Defence ministry seeks report on notice to Lt Gen Suhag

New Delhi: The Army today informed the defence ministry that Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag—being considered for the post of Eastern Army Commander—has been barred from promotion for alleged lapses after which the latter has sought a detailed report on the matter. The ministry is also of the view that the Army chief-designate Lt Gen Bikram Singh should be kept in the loop while taking any important decision related to Service matters.[caption id=“attachment_321684” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Keeping everyone busy. Image courtesy PIB”]  [/caption] Army chief General VK Singh has issued a show cause notice to Lt Gen Suhag, who has been put under ‘Discipline and Vigilance (DV) Ban’, asking him to explain “lapses on his part” for a failed operation by the 3 Corps Intelligence and Surveillance Unit’s (CISU) under him on 20-21 December 2011 in Jorhat, Assam. Defence ministry has sought a detailed report from the Army about the whole episode after which it placed Lt Gen Suhag under the DV ban, sources said. Lt Gen Dalbir Singh has been been given seven days to respond to the notice, just a day before Singh retires on 31 May. Lt Gen Dalbir Singh is being considered by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for the post of Eastern Army Commander, but even if it is cleared he would not be promoted as he is under the DV Ban. The notice charges Lt Gen Dalbir Singh, GOC 3 Corps, who is in the line of succession after Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Bikram Singh, with “abdicating responsibility” in handling an intelligence and surveillance unit in a “most unprofessional and lackadaisical manner”. General VK Singh has said in the notice that it appeared to him that censure at the level of Chief of Army Staff in appropriate form is called for on account of the “lapses on your part”. “Accordingly opportunity is hereby afforded to you to explain the reasons for the aforesaid lapses. Reply to this show cause notice is requested within seven days of its receipt, failing which it would be assumed that you have no grounds to urge against the proposed action and an ex parte decision may be taken,” the notice said. This is not the first time that General Singh has tried to initiate a disciplinary action against Lt Gen Dalbir Singh. In March, he had recommended a CBI probe against him for alleged involvement in a scam in Cabinet Secretariat but it was turned down by the government. The Army chief’s notice said he has observed that the actions taken by Lt Gen Dalbir Singh as GOC were not adequate to deal with the situation. PTI