Affidavit row: Suhag briefs Parrikar, minister seeks all info

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhagtoday briefed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on anaffidavit he has filed in the Supreme Court alleging formerchief V K Singh, now Minister of State for External Affairs,sought to victimise him. Defence sources said Parrikar has sought all documents anddetails related to the issue. Suhag made the allegations in an affidavit filed by himin his personal capacity while responding to a petition movedby Lt Gen (Retd) Ravi Dastane who had alleged "favouritism"during his selection as the Army Commander. Army sources maintained that Suhag only "resubmitted" theaffidavit he had filed before the Armed Forces Tribunal as thematter has come before the Supreme Court. "The AFT had rejected the claims of the complainant afterwhich the complainant filed a case in the Supreme Court. WhenSuhag first filed the affidavit in 2012, neither was he theArmy chief and nor was Singh a Minister," an army source said. Suhag in his affidavit said, "I was sought to bevictimised by the then COAS with the sole purpose of denyingpromotion to the appointment of Army Commander. False,baseless and imaginary allegations of lapses were levelledagainst me in the show cause notice (of May 19, 2012). "Despite their being no evidence against me at the Courtof Inquiry, the show cause notice was issued malafidely," hesaid, adding that "no material whatsoever of attendantcircumstances was provided to me. The show cause noticeissued, beside suffering from vagueness, was premeditated andalso against the principles of natural justice". In 2012, Suhag was placed under a discipline and vigilance(DV) ban by Singh, the then Army chief, for his alleged"failure of command and control" after a Court of Inquiry wasordered into an operation carried out in Jorhat, Assam, on thenight of December 20-21, 2011 by the 3 Corps Intelligence andSurveillance Unit. The army chief, who was the then General OfficerCommanding of the unit, said the imposition of DV ban on himand issuance of a show cause notice by the then COAS "wasillegal and premeditated". "It is thus established that I was victimized forextraneous reasons by the then COAS and hence the illegalimposition of DV ban by the then COAS could not be made thebasis by the apellant to challenge my appointment as GOC-in-C,Eastern Command. In fact, it is the answering respondent whois the victim and not the appellant, as is sought to be madeby him," he said. PTI SAP GVS ZMNGVS