Adarsh society accuses VK Singh of plotting to defame it

A week after claiming that high ranking officials from the Ministry of Defence were targeting the Adarsh society as they were not granted membership, the society has now trained its gun on former army chief V K Singh, accusing him of being behind the "plot" to "settle scores with his predecessors".

According to the Adarsh society, Singh, who recently retired as the chief of army staff, initiated a plot to "tarnish and defame" the society and its members including several army officials and bureaucrats.

The allegations against Singh have been levelled by the society in its reply filed in the Bombay high court on an application by the Ministry of Defence seeking to intervene in a batch of public interest litigations related to the scam.

The MoD had sought to intervene after the society and Maharashtra government objected to the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the scam as neither the state not the high court had ordered such an inquiry, as required under the law.

"The alleged Adarsh scam is a plot initiated by the then army chief V K Singh. Singh had taken charge in April 2010 and had succeeded Deepak Kapoor, who is a member of Adarsh society," the reply said. It claimed that after taking charge Singh directed the army headquarters to write a letter to the Southern Command in Pune seeking details about the Adarsh society matter.

"Singh sought details about the society to settle scores with his predecessors and wanted to tarnish and defame Adarsh society and its members," the society's reply filed by one of its members retired Lt Commander G S Grewal has alleged.

In a letter to MoD last week, the society had claimed that high ranking officials from the ministry were targeting it as they were not granted membership.

The letter, which was issued in reply to MoD's May 28 notice asking the society and the state government to hand over possession of the land to the army had however not named any official from the MoD or army.

In its reply filed before the high court, the society has further claimed that the Southern Command had on April 6, 2010 written a letter to the Army headquarters stating that the issue had already been comprehensively examined in 2003-04 and that reopening it may not be advisable.

The defence estates office had also written to the headquarters saying that the land belonged to the Maharashtra government and was outside Colaba Military Station.

According to the society, despite this V K Singh deputed an officer to conduct a detailed analysis and submit a report. The officer in his report reiterated the DEO's letter and said that the land belonged to the state government.

"It is not only surprising but equally shocking that even after the conclusive report the MoD has raised an issue of title to the land and initiated the CBI inquiry. The mischievous and baseless claim of title on the land on which Adarsh society stands today is nothing but an afterthought and the same is being raised by senior army officials to harass the society members," the reply said.

A CBI inquiry was initiated into the Adarsh scam on the recommendation of MoD on the basis of a report from the then army chief.

The Adarsh matter is posted for hearing on August 3.