In a major move soon after taking office as the new Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Bikram Singh has ordered lifting of the discipline vigilance ban on 3 Corps chief Lt. Gen. Dalbir Suhag, paving the way for Lt. Gen. Suhag to take over as the Eastern Command chief, top sources have confirmed.
This is the first reversal of an order of former Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh, who, during his last days in office, had demanded an explanation from Lt. Gen. Suhag for an alleged failed Army operation in the Northeast and subsequently ordered imposition of the DV ban on the officer. Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd) had also accused Lt. Gen. Suhag of leaking information to the media on the show-cause notice issued to him (Lt. Gen. Suhag) earlier. The decision by Gen. Bikram Singh now makes Lt. Gen. Suhag firmly the front-runner for Army Chief in 2014.
Sources said Gen. Bikram Singh had accepted the explanation of Lt. Gen. Suhag in response to the show-cause notice issued by Gen. V.K. Singh.
This makes it clear that Lt. Gen. Suhag has been cleared of any serious lapse in the matter after reportedly facing allegations of abdication of responsibility with regard to the alleged failed operation. In fact, when Gen. V.K. Singh had ordered the DV ban recently, it had stalled his promotion to the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command.