Court takes cognisance of defamation case against Army Chief

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A Delhi court on Thursday took cognisance of the criminal defamation case filed by Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh against Army Chief General V.K. Singh and four others.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar took cognisance of former Lt Gen. Singh's complaint after hearing his arguments and those of his counsel and slated the matter for recording of his pre-summoning evidence on April 10.

"I have heard the arguments. I take cognisance. Put up for pre-summoning evidence on April 10," the magistrate said.

Besides Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh, the former lieutenant general, in his complaint, has also named Vice-Chief of Army Staff S.K. Singh, Lt Gen. B.S. Thakur (DG MI), Major General S.L. Narshiman (Additional Director General of Public Information) and Lt Col Hitten Sawhney accusing them of misusing their official positions, power and authority to level false charges against him.

During the hearing, Tejinder Singh said between March 1 and March 4, a large number of media reports had emerged with allegations of carrying out illegal off-the-air monitoring of call records of some senior officials.

He said on March 5 the media cell of the Army Head Quarters issued a press release, levelling serious allegations against him by name.

Detailing the allegations, Tejinder Singh said he was accused of managing all the media reports and the press release also said that he was questioned for the purchase of off-the-air monitoring system.

He also said no investigation or FIR has been registered against him in the Mumbai-Adarsh society case in which he has been allotted a flat.

Refuting all the allegations levelled against him, former Lt Gen Singh said that it was alleged that he has offered bribe for purchase of some allegedly sub-standard vehicles.

Tejinder Singh's counsel Anil Aggarwal and S.M. Pandey told the court that all the allegations levelled against their client are baseless and intended to defame him.

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 A.K. 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 had said.