Armed Forces Tribunal restores honour to Kargil war officer
27 May 2010
New Delhi: The Armed Forces Tribunal has indicted a former lieutenant general of the Indian Army for showing prejudice towards a Brigadier in playing down his achievements in the Kargil war and also for falsifying battle accounts. The indictment is an embarrassment for the Indian Army and raises serious questions about the role of the military leadership in the course of the incursions made by the Pakistan Army in 1999 in the Kargil sector.
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| Indian Army guns in action in Kargil |
The Tribunal has also directed that the affected officer Brigadier Devinder Singh (retd) be considered for a notional promotion to the next rank.
Brig Singh led the 70 Infantry Brigade in the Batalik sector in the Kargil war and found his achievements in the operations belittled and ascribed to some other officer. Subsequently, he also found himself harassed on a regular basis being shunted out to non-descript assignments. He subsequently filed a petition in the Delhi High Court complaining of wrong depiction of his battle performance and that of the men under his command.
It is being given to understand that several complaints of a nature similar to that Brig Singh are also pending with the Tribunal.
The Tribunal has questioned the role of Lt Gen Kishan Pal, then general officer commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, who oversaw operations in that sector in denying Brig Devinder Singh a well deserved medal for gallantry as well as a promotion to the next rank as a major general.
"I feel vindicated," said a visibly happy Singh recounting his long battle with authorities.