Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Ahead of his retirement May 31, Indian Army chief General V.K. Singh has slapped a show cause notice on a lieutenant general, who may be considered for the top post over two years from now, for alleged lapses in an operation carried out by an intelligence unit under him in Assam last year.

Gen. V.K. Singh issued the notice, which asks Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag, the present 3 Corps commander why he should not be censured for lapses in his handling of the unit during the operation carried out by the formation’s intelligence and surveillance unit on the intervening night between Dec 20 and Dec 21 last year, sources said here Wednesday.

This is not the first time Gen. V.K. Singh has sought disciplinary action against Suhag. This March, he had recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against the lieutenant general for an alleged scam while serving as head of an ultra secret commando unit under the cabinet secretariat. But the government had rejected that recommendation.

The present show cause notice relates to the findings of a court of inquiry ordered by the Kolkata-based Eastern Army Command, headed by army chief-designate Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh. Suhag is rumoured to be the likely successor to Bikram Singh on the basis of seniority at the time of the latter’s retirement in 2014.

The notice, sources said, laid down charges against Suhag, including “abdicating responsibility” and handling the intelligence unit in “a most unprofessional and lackadaisical manner”.

On account of the “lapses” on Suhag’s part, censure at the level of the army chief in an appropriate form is called for in the present case, the notice was quoted by sources as saying.

“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,” it added.

The premise of the notice was that Suhag, as the General Officer Commanding of 3 Corps, had not dealt with the situation arising out of the botched up operation adequately.