Court to hear defamation case against Army Chief

New Delhi: A Delhi Court will on Thursday hear the criminal defamation case filed by Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh against Army Chief VK Singh and others. In the petition Tejinder Singh accused General VK Singh and four others of misusing their official position to level false charges against him.

The petition was filed after the Army Chief had alleged that a lobbyist, who had 'just' retired, offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear a defence deal.

In his defamation suit filed in a Magistrate's court, Tejinder Singh had asked the court to summon and initiate proceedings against Gen Singh for making the 'libellous' statement against him in the media.

The Army Chief had claimed in media interviews that a lobbyist, who had 'just' retired, offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore for clearing a file relating to purchase of a tranche of 600 'sub standard' vehicles of a particular make and he had immediately informed Defence Minister AK Antony about it.

In a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha, Antony had said that the Army Chief had told him about Tejinder Singh allegedly offering him the bribe, which he heard with 'shock' and asked him to take action against the person.

But the Army Chief did not want to pursue the matter for unknown reasons, the minister said. Tejinder Singh, in his complaint, said the Army Chief had levelled false allegation against him in a press release issued on March 5 in order to get his name cleared from the phone tapping controversy.

Responding to a legal notice sent by Tejinder Singh, the counsel for Army Chief had said the press release accusing him and other retired and serving officers of planting stories against Gen Singh was based on true fact. He accused Tejinder Singh of trying to defame Gen Singh.

In his complaint, the retired Lt Gen had also named SK Singh (Vice-Chief of Army staff), Lt Gen BS Thakur (D G MI), Major General SL Narshiman (Additional Director General of Public Information and Lt Col Hitten Sawhney, accusing them of misusing their official position, power and authority to level false charges against him.