Connect with us

Top News

SC dismisses Lt. Gen Dastane’s plea against Gen Suhag

Published

6 years ago

on

New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by Lt. General Ravi Dastane (since retired) challenging the appointment of then Lt. General Dalbir Singh Suhag as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command, which was a precursor to his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff.

Dismissing the petition by Dastane for “lacking in merit”, the bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta said that an officer has “no vested right to claim promotion on the basis of seniority alone. But that does not mean that the authority entitled to make the appointment must ignore seniority.”

“The emphasis on fitness in every respect is an indicator that the post is a selection post”, the court said, pointing out that the seniority that brings with it experience of handling situations and experience in perspective and planning can’t be ignored.

“Officers of the army who attain the rank of Lieutenant General progress through the hierarchical structure after fulfilling rigorous criteria of assessment. The principle that the appointment of an Army Commander is made by selection does not require that the criterion of seniority should be ignored,” said Justice Chandrachud.

The principle that seniority alone does not confer a right to appointment to a selection post does not mean that the authority making the appointments must be oblivious to seniority, the court said.

“Placed below the COAS, the post of Army Commander is of crucial significance to the organisational structure of the Army,” it said.

Seniority may be a relevant consideration as it brings with it “experience of organisation, experience in handling situations and experience in perspective and planning,” the court said. The post of Army Commander, however, “remains a selection post,” it said.

While making appointments to such crucial posts which carry enormous functional responsibilities bearing on the defence needs of the armed forces and ultimately of the nation, a “range of relevant considerations can be borne in mind,” the court said.

Having said this, the court said: “It would not be appropriate in the course of judicial review to confine the appointing authority to a narrow range of considerations. The appointing authority is best suited to determine who among the officers in the rank of Lieutenant General is suited for appointment against a vacancy.”

Dastane had challenged the appointment of Suhag as the GOC-in-C Eastern Command which paved the way for his appointment as the next Army Chief succeeding the then incumbent Gen Bikramjit Singh.

When the names of Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag as GOC-in-C Eastern Command and Lt. Gen Sanjiv Chachra as GOC-in-C Western Command were sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, there was no administrative, disciplinary or vigilance proceedings against Suhag.

However, while their names were being considered, a disciplinary vigilance (DV) ban was imposed on Suhag by the then Army Chief Gen V.K. Singh and it was communicated to the Cabinet Secretariat.

This resulted in putting on hold Suhag’s appointment as GOC-in-C Eastern Command.

However, Suhag’s appointment as GOC-in-C Eastern Command was cleared after Gen Bikramjit Singh reversed the DV ban by Gen V.K. Singh after going through the response by Suhag to the show cause notice issued to him.

Suhag retired as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on December 31, 2016 while Chachra, who was appointed GOC-in-C Western Command, retired on May 31, 2014. Dastane retired on September 30, 2014.

General Dalbir Singh, the third respondent, was appointed the Chief of Army Staff and retired from service on December 31, 2016.

–IANS
pk/arm/bg

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Top News

Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

Published

3 months ago

on

September 3, 2024

By

World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

Continue Reading

Trending