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Lt-Gen Bikram Singh takes over charge as the Indian army chief from Gen VK Singh

May 31, 2012 at 00:33

Sahil

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Lieutenant-General Bikram Singh will today take charge as the Chief of Army Staff of the India from General Vijay Kumar Singh, despite the stiff resistance and controversies related to his appointment.

Bikram Singh was forced to remain as the chief-designate for close to three months, which is probably longer than the time any of his predecessors had to wait. He is the second Sikh to head the army, with the first being General Joginder Jaswant Singh, who commanded the army from 2005 to 2007.

The appointment of Bikram Singh comes at a time when the Army is badly hit by infightings and scandals. Just a few days ago, the 3 Corps Commander, Lt-General Dalbir Singh Suhag was issued a legal notice by the outgoing army chief Gen. VK Singh. The notice deals with a failed military mission by the 3 Corps, which was conducted in the district of Jorhat in Assam. Suhag was expected to replace Bikram Singh as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command. However, after the latest development, he should first clear his name before being considered for the post.

Meanwhile, Gen Singh blamed the former Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash for the age row controversy, which forced him to retire this month. Prakash was earlier dismissed from the army for his involvement with the Sukna land scam. On Tuesday, Prakash had criticized Gen. Singh for ratifying the General Court Martial (GCM) proceedings against him.

Lt-Gen Bikram Singh was also involved in several controversies in the past. In 2001, a Kashmiri woman alleged that her son was shot dead by army men under the command of Bikram Singh, in the district of Anantnag. The army had claimed that the killed individual was a Hizbul Mujahiddeen operative, but the family members deny that he had any links with the banned outfit.

Bikram Singh was also involved in another controversy during the UN peacekeeping operations in Congo. The entire Indian army establishment underwent humiliation when local women accused the peacekeepers of sexual abuse. Bikram Singh was commanding the 6th Battalion of the Sikh regiment at that time, the unit which was involved in the controversy.

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