Brigadier Surinder Singh (Retd), former commander of the Kargil Brigade, has reportedly approached the Supreme Court seeking a fresh investigation into the 1999 conflict.
In a petition filed on July 24, Singh has demanded either a Supreme Court judge-led inquiry or a probe by the existing Group of Ministers to bring “corrections” to what he calls a "distorted and incomplete war narrative", states a report by the Times of India.
The 78-year-old Sena Medal (Gallantry) awardee, removed from command midway through the conflict and later dismissed from service without a general court martial, has filed the petition in public interest. He has alleged that vital intelligence warnings were ignored, military resources were withheld, and that war records were manipulated to cover up lapses by senior Army leadership.
Brig Singh has further accused the Army’s top brass at the time of deliberately suppressing facts, reshuffling key appointments, and restricting the use of artillery by his 121 (Kargil) Brigade, even as Pakistani forces used air defence artillery from Point 5108 to launch attacks and provide cover fire for intrusions. In his petition, he reportedly claims these failures enabled the enemy to intrude over a 227-km stretch of the Line of Control, ultimately forcing India into a “highly avoidable” war.
He has cited the example of Bajrang Post in the Kargil sector, which he said was vacated on orders from the General Officer Commanding (GOC) in February 1999. His subsequent request to reoccupy the post in April was reportedly denied, the order finally came only in June, by which time it was too late, he claims. It should be noted that it was here that Captain Saurabh Kalia and his patrol were ambushed on May 14, 1999, leading to their capture, torture, and killing in Pakistani custody.
The Kargil Review Committee (KRC), Singh alleges, reportedly adopted a flawed methodology by not recording testimonies from frontline troops and commanders. As a result, it failed to uncover several crucial facts. He has also referred to a 2006 public statement by former Air Chief Marshal AY Tipnis, who had said the Army kept the government in the dark about the extent of intrusions until mid-May 1999.
Singh has further pointed out that Operation Vijay was “hastily called off” on July 26, 1999, despite vital enemy positions, including the strategically important Point 5353 overlooking Drass, still remaining under Pakistani control.
Raising concern over the passage of time, Singh alleges that many senior officers involved in the war are now elderly and must be questioned urgently to prevent the loss of critical information.
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