Subrahmanyam Committee examines Brig Surinder Singh

NEW DELHI, SEPT 14: Brig. Surinder Singh, former Commander of the Kargil Brigade, who is in the midst of a controversy, was examined by t...

NEW DELHI, SEPT 14: Brig. Surinder Singh, former Commander of the Kargil Brigade, who is in the midst of a controversy, was examined by the Subrahmanyam Committee here last week, it is reliably learnt.

The Brigadier, who is posted in Ranchi but attached in Leh for a court of inquiry, was specially called to Delhi on September 9 for the briefing. Though details of the meeting, which lasted a full day, are not known, the Brigadier was reportedly questioned on the basis of his 68-page representation submitted

to the Army Chief on June 28. The representation was passed on to the Committee recently. The authenticity of certain documents, which have appeared in the press, was also discussed, it is learnt.

The representation to the Army chief contains details of the Brigadier’s briefing of the Army Chief, the Northern Army Commander and his other communications to the GOC, 3 Infantry division in the months preceding the Pak intrusions. Certain communications indicating a difference of opinion between Brig. Surinder Singh and the GOC, 3 Infantry Division, Major General V S Budhwar, also form a part of the representation.

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The Committee members, who are in J&K, are expected to have another round of discussions in Leh with Brigadier Surinder Singh and other officers of 3 Infantry Division, including Major General Budhwar. This is the Committee’s second visit to J&K.

The Committee, which is reviewing the events leading to the Pakistani aggression in Kargil, is headed by defence analyst K Subrahmanyam and consists of Lt Gen K K Hazari (Retd), journalist George Verghese, and the Secretary of National Security Council Satish Chandra. It is expected to submit its report to the Government by October 31.

Meanwhile, in order to pre-empt the Brigadier from moving court again, the Army authorities have filed a caveat in the Delhi and J&K High Courts. This enables the Army to explain its viewpoint before the petition is allowed. Sources in the Army’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch said that the caveat has been filed because Brig. Surinder Singh had objected to certain aspects of the court of inquiry against him which is in progress in Leh for alleged leakage of military documents. The Court of Inquiry, ordered by GOC, 3 Infantry Division, is headed by Brig. Ashok Duggal, deputy GOC of the Division.

Earlier, the Army authorities were taken by surprise when the Brigadier moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court last month against his frequent transfers. The petition was dismissed as withdrawn.