Defence minister A.K. Antony revealed on Thursday that it was the Army headquarters had recommended on March 22 —-just a week ago — that senior Army officer Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag be appointed as an Army Commander, an astounding revelation amid reports that Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh has now asked the CBI to examine certain allegations of corruption made by a Trinamul Congress MP one year ago against Lt. Gen. Suhag. The minister said he had “no idea” about any request made by the Army Chief to the CBI. The minister refused to answer whether the Army Chief is authorised to directly ask the CBI to examine any allegation.
Incidentally, Lt. Gen. Suhag, who heads the Army’s 3 Corps at Dimapur, Nagaland, is understood to have denied the allegations. Lt. Gen. Suhag is also believed to be a front-runner for the post of Army Chief after the tenure of the next chief, Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh.
Mr Antony told reporters, “He (Gen. V.K. Singh) said at one meeting, (that) there are allegations against this Lt. Gen. (D.S. Suhag). Immediately, I said, If there is a specific complaint, you take action.” The minister then said that just a week ago on March 22, the Army headquarters recommended to the MoD that Lt. Gen. Suhag be appointed as an Army commander (to head one of the seven Army Commands). The proposal was cleared by the defence secretary and now it is pending in my office (for my approval),” the minister stated.
The questions now being raised are that why the Army recommended that Lt. Gen. Suhag be appointed as an Army commander on one hand while allegedly asking the CBI to examine certain allegations against him, on the other hand.
Meanwhile, the CBI, in a letter to the Cabinet Secretariat on Thursday, sought details of the complaint of corruption levelled against Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag. “The agency also wants to know whether the Cabinet Secretariat had initiated any inquiry to probe allegations against the Lt. Gen. after receiving complaint from TMC MP Ambika Banerjee in 2011 or not,” sources said. “The agency has received the Army Chief’s covering letter along with the complaint from the TMC MP relating to some corruption in a procurement deal. The agency may seek sanction from the Ministry of Defence to begin its probe against Lt. Gen. Suhag,” sources said.