Have CD pointing to Army Chief ‘role’ in phonetaps,Tejinder Singh tells SC

Yesterday,Lt Gen. Singh filed a 44-page writ petition in the apex court in which he demanded a “scrupulous’’ probe by the CBI into allegations that “the Army Headquarters was carrying out illegal monitoring of mobile phone conversations of defence ministry officials and the defence minister’’.

According to the petition,accessed by The Indian Express,the former DIA chief has told the Supreme Court that he wishes to submit a separate confidential statement,a CD,as well as transcripts of the conversations the CD purportedly contains in a “sealed cover”.

The petition states that General V K Singh “unwittingly divulged to the petitioner his illegal scheme,designs and intention to carry out monitoring of mobile phone conversations of the defence ministry officials’’.

Lt General Singh has also demanded a CBI investigation into what he calls the misuse of Secret Service funds by the Military Intelligence Directorate,since,as the petition states,“(this) finds mention in the recorded conversation contained in CD Mark 3 (to be) submitted in sealed cover.’’

After listing (and annexing) a string of news reports on the allegedly illegal use of off-the-air or “passive’’ interceptors,Lt General Singh’s petition says that till date,the Government or the Ministry of Defence has chosen not to clear the name of the Army and that of its officers for alleged monitoring or snooping of mobile conversations of Defence Ministry officials by the Army HQ.

Later,it was the Army which issued a strongly worded clarification,pointing out that Lt General Singh,as DIA Chief,had been questioned on the alleged purchase of the interception equipment without sanction by the competent authority. The contents and circumstances in which the press release was issued is the subject matter of a criminal complaint filed last month by Lt General Singh in the Delhi High Court.

Besides alleging that he has been put through a “media trial and prosecution,’’ Lt General Singh has alleged that the admission of the respondent (General V K Singh) that he had been keeping a “wary eye’’ on him —- over the 18 months after the alleged bribe offer was made to him —- was a violation of his fundamental right of privacy.

He has alleged in the petition that the Army Chief was “possibly’’ unauthorizedly tapping his phones and following him in public places.

Besides the Army chief,those named as respondents in the petition include the Defence,Home,Law and I&B Ministries,CBI and Col (retd) R S N Singh,a “close aide” of the Army chief.

‘Gen. Singh monitored phones of MoD officials,Defence Minister’
Excerpts from petition by Lt Gen. (retd) Tejinder Singh

* “From the confidential statement and CD Mark 3,it is clearly made out that (General V K Singh) actually or at least attempted to carry out illegal monitoring of mobile phone conversation of the Ministry of Defence official.

* “In an act amounting to criminal breach of trust,(Gen. Singh) has indulged in grave illegal activity against the Government established by law by illegally monitoring phone conversation of the Defence Ministry officials and of the Defence Minister.”

* “Needs a thorough and scrupulous probe and investigation including examination of the Secret Service Fund of the Military Intelligence Directorate (which finds mention in the CD) by an independent investigating agency that is the CBI.”