Army chief issues show cause notice to Lt Gen

A day before retirement, Army Chief Gen V K Singh has issued show cause notice to a Lt Gen, who could head the force in two years, for censure on account of lapses on his part in handling a case of a failed intelligence operation in Assam's Jorhat district last year.

The notice charges Lt Gen Dalbir Singh, GOC 3 Corps, who is in the line of succession after Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Bikram Singh, with "abdicating responsibility" in handling an intelligence and surveillance unit in a "most unprofessional and lackadaisical manner".

Gen V K Singh has said in the notice that it appeared to him that censure at the level of Chief of Army Staff in appropriate form is called for on account of the "lapses on your part".

"Accordingly opportunity is hereby afforded to you to explain the reasons for the aforesaid lapses. Reply to this show cause notice is requested within seven days of its receipt, failing which it would be assumed that you have no grounds to urge against the proposed action and an ex parte decision may be taken," the notice said.

The issue relates to proceedings of a Court of Inquiry (CoI) convened by Headquarters Eastern Command to investigate circumstances under which 3 Corps Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (CISU) conducted an operation in Jorhat on the night of December 20-21 last year and other circumstances.

This is not the first time that Gen V K Singh has tried to initiate a disciplinary action against Lt Gen Dalbir Singh.

In March, he had recommended a CBI probe against him for alleged involvement in a scam in Cabinet secretariat but was turned down by the government.