‘Ex-army chief tried to topple Omar Govt in 2010’ New Delhi: A secret inquiry report into the functioning of the Technical Services Division, a highly secretive and controversial Military Intelligence unit set up by former Army Chief General VK Singh, has reportedly recommended a high level probe into alleged siphoning of Secret Service funds by the unit. The funds were allegedly used to, among other things, attempt to engineer a change of regime in the Jammu & Kashmir state government and to prop up a non-governmental organization attempting to scuttle the appointment of current Army Chief General Bikram Singh. The Board of Officers inquiry report, according to a report in The Indian Express, was submitted to the Union Government in March this year. Defence Minister AK Antony then reportedly directed that the report, by Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia, DG (Military Operations), be brought to the notice of the Prime Minister’s Office. According to the report in The Indian Express, the inquiry report found that Rs 1.19 crore was taken from Secret Service funds to be paid to Ghulam Hassan Mir, presently Agriculture Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to engineer a change of government in Jammu and Kashmir. Mir has said the charge are baseless. “During the turmoil period is J&K, it was me who put every effort to stabilise the government at the time. There was nothing on the sort. I don’t subscribe the view which has been alleged against me,” he told CNN-IBN. The report says Rs 2.38 crore was given to one Hakikat Singh, whose NGO Jammu and Kashmir Humanitarian Service Organisation (JKHSO) is linked to Yes Kashmir, an NGO that filed a public interest litigation against then Army Commander Bikram Singh (now the Army Chief) regarding an alleged fake encounter case in Jangalat Mandi. According to The Indian Express, the inquiry report also found Rs 8 crore spent on purchase of interception equipment ostensibly meant to be deployed in the J&K 15 Corps. This equipment was reportedly used illegally in New Delhi to tap phones, and was later destroyed. Box Defence Minister to decide on issue: Khurshid New Delhi: Stating that the matter was of "highest concern", External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid hit out at BJP for its allegation saying the opposition party was accustomed to saying "silly things". "He shared the dais (with Modi) 48 hours back. Can you make a report like this in 48 hours?...I think BJP is getting accustomed to saying silly things," he said. He said the issue will be examined by the Defence Ministry following which government would firm up its position. "It is a serious matter and is of highest concern. Government has taken the matter seriously as it raised questions about internal functioning of the army," Khurshid said. "This is very worrisome thing. It is not a matter of an individual. This is a matter of our security. This is a matter of our security agencies and security services." "We hold the army in the country in the greatest repute and greatest esteem. To have such question raised about the internal functioning of the army of course is something that we take very seriously," Khurshid said. Asked whether the report will be discussed in the Cabinet Committee on Security, he said Defence Minister A K Antony will take a decision on the issue. "If he wishes to bring it to the CCS, may be he will. This is frankly his call and we will have to wait for it," he said.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:56:55 +0000
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