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Army plans to throw the book at Brig Singh

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The Army is planning moves to stem the controversy arising out of the letters reportedly written by Brigadier Surinder Singh to his superiors, including his immediate senior Maj Gen V S Budhwar, and which have been leaked to the media.

The Army is all set to take action against Brig Singh and is also contemplating action against Maj Gen Budhwar.

Independent inquiries have revealed while both Maj Gen Budhwar and Brig Singh were to be transferred in May last for their negligence vis-à-vis the Kargil incursions, Maj Gen Budhwar's transfer orders were not executed.

However, with media reports claiming that Maj Gen Budhwar had been informed of the Pakistani incursions and enhanced threat possibilities much in advance by Brig Singh, the Army may be forced to initiate action against him too, sources said.

Army sources indicated that Budhwar "could be investigated", but did not confirm if he would face the stringent disciplinary procedures that they say would be applied against Brig Singh.

The Army is also contemplating serious disciplinary action, including the option of a court martial, against Brigadier Singh, the former commander of the 121 (independent) infantry brigade based at Kargil, who is currently in the midst of a raging controversy.

Recent media reports have quoted letters, apparently written by Brig Singh, which had warned the Army top brass of enhanced threats in Kargil and of the Pakistani plan to intrude and occupy territory across the Line of Control. The media reports further claim that the Army top brass and the government allegedly did not act upon the warnings.

A senior Army source said Brig Singh "will have to face the consequences" for leaking out privileged and secret communications within the Army which directly impinged on national security.

"Even assuming that Brig Singh had written some of these letters, he will have to answer many questions on how they reached the media," a senior Army officer told rediff.com. The officer, who did not want to be named for obvious reasons, hinted that "proceedings such as court-martial" are possible, but did not confirm the definite nature of action.

The letters, allegedly written by Brig Singh last year to his immediate senior commander of the Leh-based 3 Infantry Division Major General V S Budhwar and to Chief of Army Staff General V P Malik, have been extensively reported in the media, and have snowballed into a major controversy. The Army on Thursday denied any warnings from Brig Singh in advance about possible intrusions by Pakistanis, and called him a "disgruntled brigadier".

The Army sources also said prima facie the former Kargil commander has violated "both the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act".

Sources in the Army headquarters said Brig Singh could also be tried for "deliberate disobedience". Though he was asked to stay back in Srinagar after he was posted out, he proceeded to Secunderabad for taking over as sub-area commander. But he was transferred from there also.

Brig Singh is presently attached to the 3 Infantry Division stationed at Leh, which is headed by Major General VS Budhwar, who is also facing an uncertain future. According to authoritative sources, the Army top brass, under deputy chief Lt Gen Chandrasekhar, had decided to transfer out Budhwar too in the beginning of the Kargil operations, but the decision was revered within days.

The Army, in an apparent bid to distance itself from the controversy that is growing murkier by the day, has officially denied having been warned by Brig Singh in advance of Pakistani game plan. It has said the recent media reports and political claims were because "some people with vested interests have picked on a disgruntled brigadier".

The Army chief's office on Thursday claimed that the only letter it has received from Brig Singh was a representation from Brig Singh against his removal from the command of Kargil Brigade. This "confidential letter", the Army said, was written on June 28, 1999. Giving clear indications of the future course of action, the Army statement said: "Is it just to quote and misquote the words of a disgruntled brigadier to vilify the entire hierarchy of the Army, when inquiries into the matter were still underway?"

The Army has denied almost every claim made by media quoting letters apparently written by Brig Singh. And it has only said that inquiries are going on into the Kargil episode.

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