Army Chief General VK Singh wants probe against serving Lt General: Report

NEW DELHI: In yet another blow to the government, fresh controversy has erupted over defence procurement procedures of the country. The Indian Express newspaper reported on Thursday that Army Chief Gen V K Singh has asked CBI to probe a serving Lt Gen in the army. The paper reports that the COAS has handed over to CBI a letter written by Trinamool MP Ambica Banerjee wherein it has been alleged that there have been widespread "procurement scams" in the Special Frontier Force — when Lt Gen Dalbir Singh was its Inspector General.

The newspaper report comes after recent controversy over Gen V K Singh’s revelation that he was offered a bribe in his office for purchase of equipment and after the media leak of a secret letter written by the Army chief to the PM highlighting inadequacies in the Indian defence system.

The letter from the Trinamool MP also claims that other Army officers, including a former Army Chief received kickbacks worth crores of rupees for defence procurements and amassed 'huge' disproportionate assets.

The complaint was forwarded by the Army Chief after the CBI met him to start a probe into his allegations against Lt General Tejinder Singh.

The news report also mentions that the COAS, in a covering letter sent along with Banerjee's complaint, has claimed that the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of a senior Army officer who was on deputation to the SFF was downgraded by Lt Gen Dalbir Singh — who was then Major General — because the officer did not 'succumb' to pressure of a cartel which wanted to sell parachutes to the force. The Army Chief has not named this officer but has said that he received a representation from him.