Show us Lt Gen Singh's appointment file: SC

FP Staff • April 23, 2012, 13:30:41 IST

The court has asked to view the service record of Army chief designate Lt Gen Bikram Singh following which it could decide the future course of action on a petition challenging his appointment.

Show us Lt Gen Singh's appointment file: SC

The Supreme Court has asked for the file pertaining to the appointment of the next Indian Army chief Lt General Bikram Singh, following which, it will decide whether to continue hearing a petition which has challenged his appointment.

Hearing a petition filed by former bureaucrats and defence officials, a Supreme Court bench asked if the allegations against Lt Gen Singh had been placed before the Cabinet Committee which had chosen him as the next Army chief. The Additional Solicitor General said that the service record had been submitted before the decision was taken.

Following this the apex court asked to view the file of Lt General Singh and adjourned the matter till 1400 hours today, CNN IBN reported.

The Centre opposed the PIL saying it had been filed with malafide intention and for raising the age controversy involving the present Army Chief, VK Singh, again. However, the Supreme Court said it would not consider the controversy while hearing this particular petition.

Legal counsel for the petitioners, Kamini Jaiswal had sought that the court proceedings be carried in camera. However, the court rejected the plea and said the request should have been in the original list of prayers in the petition. The petition will continue to be heard in open court.

The petitioners, including former Navy chief Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas and former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswamy, alleged that a fake encounter case is still pending against Lt Gen Singh in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The petitioners, also including veteran journalist Sam Rajapa and social activist MG Devasahayam, have also alleged that Lt Gen Singh failed to take action against officers who were involved in sexual harassment and rape when they were posted to Congo in 2008 as part of the UN peace-keeping mission.

Lt Gen Singh, currently the Eastern Army Commander, is to succeed General VK Singh, who demits office on 31 May. The government had on 3 March announced the appointment of Lt Gen Bikram Singh as the next Army chief.