The Hindu : National : Surinder Singh allowed to inspect `classified' matter

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Wednesday, Feb 16, 2005

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National

Surinder Singh allowed to inspect `classified' matter

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 15. The Delhi High Court today allowed Captain Surinder Singh, who was court-martialled for fake killings in the Siachen, to inspect the "classified" portion of the General Court Martial proceedings.

A Division Bench comprising Justice D.K. Jain and Justice H.R. Malhotra issued the direction when the Additional Solicitor-General, P.P. Malhotra, submitted that the convict could be made available only that portion of the proceedings that had not been designated as classified by the Army authorities. Mr. Malhotra submitted that the General Court Martial had also passed an order on a representation by Captain Singh seeking a copy of the proceedings that would allow him to inspect the classified portion.

Challenging the submission by Mr. Malhotra, R.S. Randhawa, counsel for Captain Singh, submitted that it was the Court that would decide whether the portion which had been designated as classified was genuinely so or not.

It had been the practice in the Army to make available copies of the proceedings to convicts, he submitted, adding that the former Army Chief, N.C. Vij, had shared the instant Court Martial proceedings with the media.

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