SC directs Centre to put next Army chief's service file before it
The Supreme Court has sought Army Chief designate Lt General Bikram Singh's service record to see whether there was any mention of his 'role' in Congo and the Jammu and Kashmir 'fake' encounter.
The Centre has to place the file before the court at 2 pm.
The Union of India says the public interest litigation on this is malafide and based on 'communal elements against Sikhs'. It argued the petition was another attempt to rake up General V K Singh's age row because they could not recall or review the Supreme Court order on Singh.
The apex court, however, made it clear that it would not go again into age row of the outgoing Army chief while hearing the PIL against the appointment of Bikram Singh.
On the Congo allegations, the Centre argued Bikram Singh was on secondment duty with the UN peacekeeping mission. He was not on deputation, and, therefore, had nothing to do with the alleged smuggling or trafficking charges against Indian personnel, the government said.
On the J-K encounter, the court asked how it could be 'fake' when a colonel and a jawan had died and Singh himself suffered bullet wounds on the back.
The court refused to hold 'in-camera' proceeding of its hearing on the PIL.
The apex court also restrained the petitioners, including former Naval Chief Admiral L Ramdas, from making "bald" allegations against Bikram Singh.
link: https://www.indianexpress.com/news/sc-directs-centre-to-put-next-army-chiefs-service-file-before-it/940383/