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Army chief lifts VK Singh's promotion ban on Lt Gen Suhag - The Times of India

General Bikram Singh has lifted the discipline and vigilance (DV) promotion ban imposed on a senior Lt-General tipped to take over the 1.13-million force from him in August, 2014. The DV ban was lofted on Lt-Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, the 3 Corps commander in Dimapur, after accepting his explanation to the showcause censure notice imposed on him by Gen V K Singh just days before retirement on May 31.

The move paves the way for Lt-Gen Suhag's promotion to the Army commander rank capable of heading any of the six regional commands and one training command of the force. It also negates what was largely seen as a parting shot by Gen V K Singh to scuttle the line of succession in the Army.

Lt-Gen Suhag's name had been send to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) last month as the proposed successor to the then Eastern Army commander Gen Bikram Singh but it got derailed due to the DV ban.

"The government and ACC will now re-examine Lt-Gen Suhag's case for promotion. He will, in all probability, now become the chief of the Eastern Army Command at Kolkata. The post is lying vacant," said a source.

In his showcause censure notice, Gen V K Singh had charged Lt-Gen Suhag for "abdicating responsibility" in handling a botched operation by an intelligence and surveillance unit under him in "a most unprofessional and lackadaisical manner".

But coming as it did in the backdrop of Gen V K Singh's known aversion to the Bikram-Suhag line of succession, it was seen to be a result of the factional feuds engulfing the Army. Even the defence ministry had wanted to ascertain whether Gen V K Singh's action involved "any bias or vindictiveness" since Lt-Gen Suhag was not given any chance to respond to the showcause notice before being placed in the DV ban category.

Gen V K Singh had held Lt Gen Suhag and his Brigadier General Staff (Operations), Brig Abhey Krishna, guilty of not taking "adequate" and timely action to deal with the situation arising out of the offences committed by troops involved in the operation.

The unit, the 3 Corps Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (CISU), had conducted the botched operation in Jorhat on the night of December 20-21, with a havildar even stealing a pistol and cellphone during the incident.