NEW DELHI, SEPT 3: Insisting that the November 12, 1998, `letter' written to the Chief of Army Staff by Brig. Surinder Singh does exist, Outlook magazine in a press release issued here today alleged that ``the Army is putting together a contingency plan to claim that the letter got `lost' en route to the Chief.''Quoting ``sources close to the family of Brig Surinder Singh,'' the magazine claims that the Brigadier stands by ``whatever has been reported in Outlook in its various reports.'' And that he has been threatened with a court martial and other disciplinary measures.
As for the lawyer R S Randhawa's statement yesterday that no letter was written on November 12, the magazine claims that he had not consulted the Brigadier before denying the existence of the letter. ``The family is unhappy with the lawyer's statement quoted in The Indian Express on September 3.''
Kanwar Sandhu replies: My investigations and thorough examination of the relevant documents show that thesaid November 12 letter to the Army chief (DO/ROG/COAS) does not exist. It was confirmed by Ranjit Singh Randhawa, Brig. Surinder Singh's Chandigarh-based lawyer.
In fact, Brig Singh briefed the Chief on August 29, 1998, and corresponded only with his immediate superiors sending them a string of warnings on the threat perception in Kargil. It was only in June this year, after he was moved out of Kargil, that he sent his representation to the Chief.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Printer-friendly page