The Hindu : Front Page : Army shifts Siachen officer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 13, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

Army shifts Siachen officer

NEW DELHI, MAY 12. The Army today shifted its controversial officer, Colonel K.D. Singh, commander of the battalion involved in the Siachen ``fake killings'' and demolition of enemy bunkers, out of the highest battlefield of the world in the interest of ``transparent'' trial, sources here said.

Col. J.D. Khosla would replace Col. Singh, they said.

Col. K.D. Singh's transfer comes in the wake of Major Surinder Singh, the Army officer alleged to be behind the ``fake killings'', moving a court that the trial be moved out of Jammu and Kashmir and that the proceedings be open to public.

Maj. Surinder Singh, as a Company Commander of 5/5 Gorkha Rifles, allegedly staged the fake killings and demolition of enemy bunkers.

He had filed a petition to be moved to a location where he would get a fair opportunity to defend himself.

He had challenged the [Army's] order of his attachment to a remote unit in the Kashmir Valley on the ground that there is a restriction placed by the Medical Board on his employability that he is unfit for service in high altitude area.

He said the unit to which he was being attached is at such a place, which is insurgency infested area and where his health would suffer and no counsel could go there to defend himself.

Accordingly, the trial and the recording of summary evidence will be held in an Army court at Nasirabad in Rajasthan.

PTI

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