Former Kargil commander Surinder Singh moves Supreme Court for ‘correction' in war history

Time of India

6 days ago

CHANDIGARH: Brigadier Surinder Singh (Retd), who commanded Kargil Brigade during the 1999 war, has knocked on the doors of
(SC), seeking a fresh probe and 'corrections' in
history.
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The plea, filed before the apex court on Thursday — two days ahead of the 26th anniversary of Kargil War — seeks a probe either by an SC-judge headed committee or the group of ministers.
Saying that petition was filed in 'public interest,' Brig Singh has mentioned that 527 of India's finest sons laid down their lives, and the truth still lies buried under layers of bureaucratic silence and 'doctored reports'.
Alleging a cover-up, suppression of intelligence warnings, manipulation of war records, and 'betrayal from within,' the 78-year-old Sena Medal (gallantry) awardee, twice wounded in combat, has pointed fingers at the highest echelons of the Army's command at the time.
Singh has stressed that the 'logical and natural deduction of prior knowledge of the enemy intrusions' by then Army brass needs to be investigated.
Singh is the only Army officer to be dismissed from service without a general court martial.
In his plea, the former Brigadier has claimed that 121 (Kargil) Brigade was restricted from using its own artillery, whereas Pakistan used its air defence artillery guns from Point 5108 to inflict casualties on Indian forces, and for cover fire for intrusions.
'The enemy's 'unprecedented covering fire' in this area is on record, including in the diary of slain Captain Saurabh Kalia (in his own handwriting), yet ironically not given a place in the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report,' his plea says.
The petition also says that it was the GOC who ordered Bajrang Post in Kargil sector vacated in Feb 1999, and Singh's request to reoccupy it in April 1999 was declined. The orders to reoccupy came only in June 1999, he says.
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It was here that the patrol of Captain Kalia was ambushed by enemy intruders on May 14, 1999, and taken PoW. He and five other soldiers were tortured brutally and killed.
When the war started, there was utter confusion in headquarters of 3-Infantry Division, says the plea.
'It is pertinent to mention here that against all military teaching and established practices, headquarters 3-Infantry Division did not have an Op Order (Operational Order) for fighting a defensive war, ensuring the sanctity of the Line of Control.
All this was well within the knowledge of the then Chief of Army Staff,' says the plea.
It has also been claimed that 'Operation Vijay' was hastily called off on July 26, 1999, despite the fact that some important and vital positions had still not been recovered from the enemy, most importantly Point 5353 which overlooks Drass even today.
'Even the situation reports of enemy intrusions from neighbouring 102 Infantry Brigade Sector in Jan and Feb 1999 were withheld by GOC Budhwar from reaching the petitioner's brigade for reasons not professionally tenable, the petition says, adding that if these reports had been shared, it would have alerted the entire Kargil-Batalik-Chorbat La-Shyok Valley front and prevented the enemy from intruding into Indian territory any further,
While referring to the urgency for this petition. Brigadier Singh has mentioned that many senior officers are elderly, and they need to be questioned for details of their action, which may have ended up helping the enemy.