Panel fines Army over Kargil mails

Force to pay up Rs 10,000

The AFT had issued an order on an application moved by Brigadier Surinder Singh, who was dismissed from the Army in 2001, for alleged lapses prior to the 1999 war. Army counsel told the division bench on Monday that it needed more time to procure all the documents.

The Army held the brigadier guilty of lapses leading to the enemy intrusion in the Kargil sector which led to the war and claimed the lives of more than 500 Indian soldiers. Brigadier Singh who has moved the AFT against his dismissal  had sought record of his correspondence with the authorities claiming he had alerted his superiors about the looming threat of aggression.

Unravelling truth

The AFT on Monday directed the Army to produce all such documents by March 3.  To unravel his claim of truth, Brigadier Singh, who was the commander of 121 Brigade guarding the border in Kargil Sector,  had asked the Army to furnish his letters to the 15 Corps headquarters regarding defence equipment and information on patrolling carried out by the 121 Infantry Brigade.

Brigadier Singh’s counsel M P Goswami  told the court that the Army had been mocking at the system of justice and resorting to excuses.

Goswami said that the portion of several documents had been published in various books written by the former Army chief Gen V P Malik.

Army counsel submitted that four of the 18 documents had been destroyed by a board of officers. The file containing 11 of the remaining papers had been lying at the MoD.