MI unit under probe on verge of closure

A controversial military intelligence unit that was set up by previous Army chief General V K Singh has moved one step closer to being disbanded with all its officers moved to new assignments.

Although the unit, called the Technical Support Division (TSD), has not been officially shut down yet, it only has a token strength of soldiers left.

Sources said the officers had been posted out as their terms had come to an end but no replacements have been assigned. A board of officers under Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia is probing allegations that the unit was misused and violated many service rules.

It is learnt that the panel has looked into several allegations, including the illegal use of phone interceptors, and a final report has been submitted to Army HQ. The report also contains observations on allegations that funds worth Rs 20 crore were illegally diverted from secret funds of the military intelligence to the unit.

One allegation is that the funds were diverted to a Kashmir based organisation in 2010 that later filed a court case demanding action against then Lt Gen Bikram Singh in an old "fake encounter" case.

Sources said that while the legal process will be followed, it is only a matter of time before the TSD is formally disbanded.

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