NEW DELHI: As the infighting in the Army came out in the open, the force is now taking action against serving officers in the Military Intelligence for indulging in ‘rumour mongering’ to sully the force’s image.
A day after the Army Headquarters pointed fingers at retired officer Lt Gen Tejinder Singh for indulging in a ‘motivated’ and ‘malicious’ campaign against the force, sources said the Army is taking a “structured” approach to bring serving officers to book for “acting against the institution”. Confirming this, Army officials said that “disciplinary and administrative action is in the pipeline” against ‘disgruntled’ serving officers of the Military Intelligence who in connivance with the retired officer are maligning the Army.
The Army Headquarters said former head of Director General Defence Intelligence Agency, Lt Gen Singh, was piqued at the Army for being under the scanner for purchasing interception equipment without sanction by the technically empowered committee.
The Army Headquarters has also alleged that the retired officer had tried to bribe on the behalf of foreign firms such as Tatra and Vectra Limited, which supply vehicles to defence major Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. However, no case has been registered against Lt Gen Singh.
The allegations and counter-allegations mark a new low in the functioning of the Army, an institution that has invited a lot of scrutiny recently following the age row of incumbent Chief General VK Singh.
Prior to it, scams such as the Adarsh Society scam and Sukhna land scam had tainted the Olive Greens.
According to sources, a preliminary inquiry is on against the serving officers and it can later pave way for a court of inquiry. The announcement on the action taken “will be made in due course”.