NEW DELHI, Sept 19:
Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh today sought cancellation of bail granted to former Army Chief Gen V K Singh, who is facing criminal defamation charges, in a Delhi court, saying he had levelled false allegations against him.
“He (V K Singh) is making false and defamatory allegations against me on TV channels. I can expose him in five minutes on the same TV channel but I will not do that …. Whatever steps are to be taken as per the law should be taken by the court to restrain V K Singh from making such statements,” Tejinder told Metropolitan Magistrate Jay Thareja.
During arguments on Tejinder’s plea seeking cancellation of bail, his counsel Anil Aggarwal argued that the former Army Chief had given an interview to a news channel where he had levelled defamatory allegations against his client and he had repeated it again in an another interview given recently.
“V K Singh had said I (Tejinder) am trying to influence CBI investigation…V K Singh had also said that my client was involved in sinister and anti-national activity to demean the Indian Army,” Aggarwal said.
He claimed that V K Singh had also cast certain aspersions on the court which should be treated as “contempt of court” and these were enough grounds to cancel his bail.
V K Singh’s counsel Vishwajeet Singh opposed Tejinder’s plea saying he had already advised his client not to take any names and give such alleged statements in the media.
He also refuted Tejinder’s allegations about influencing the CBI saying, “How can I (V K Singh) pressurise the CBI? I am not the Home Minister.”
During the hearing, the court also concluded the hearing on Tejinder’s plea seeking cancellation of exemption from personal appearance granted to other four accused. The court has reserved for October 3 its order on both the pleas.
Tejinder had lodged a criminal defamation case against V K Singh, the then Vice Chief of Army S K Singh, retired Lt Gen B S Thakur (then Director General of Military Intelligence), Major General S L Narshiman (Additional Director General of Public Information) and Colonel Hitten Sawhney.
In his complaint, Tejinder had alleged he was defamed by the Army through its press release issued on March 5 last year which accused him of offering a bribe of Rs 14 crore to the then Army Chief to clear a deal of 600 trucks, a charge refuted by him.
During the hearing on the pleas, Tejinder’s counsel said V K Singh had also termed his client as “insane” and had used intemperate language against him.
Regarding others, he said B S Thakur had retired in April this year but his counsel had not apprised the court about it despite the fact that permanent exemption was granted to them on the ground that they were serving Army officers.
“They have given an undertaking in the court that they will present all the facts before the court but they have not done this,” he said.
Advocate Sidharth Agarwal, who appeared for the other four accused, argued that non-appearance of these persons does not have any impact on the case as there lawyers remain present to participate in the proceedings.
He also read out the affidavits, filed by the present Army Chief and the Defence Ministry before the Delhi High Court, saying it was mentioned that these four officials had acted in a “bonafide manner”.
The defence counsel also said that Tejinder’s application was “purely for the purpose of harassing and nothing else.”
All the five accused had appeared before the court on July 20 last year in response to the summonses issued against them. They were granted bail by the court on that day.
In his complaint, Tejinder has accused them of misusing their official position, power and authority to level false charges against him.
The press release had accused Tejinder, former chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency, and some serving officers of the Military Intelligence of planting a story in the media relating to purported tapping of some sensitive phones in the national capital.
The court had said it was “prima facie” satisfied that the March 5 press release was “defamatory” as “ex-facie” serious allegation of “bribery” has been made against Tejinder who had a long and distinguished career in the Army. (PTI)
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