Defamation case: Bail for Gen VK Singh, four others

An ex-Army chief and four top serving officers, including vice chief of army staff, today appeared before a Delhi court following summons against them in a criminal defamation case and were granted bail.

An ex-Army chief and four top serving officers, including vice chief of army staff, on Friday appeared before a Delhi court following summons against them in a criminal defamation case and were granted bail.

Former Army chief Gen VK Singh, vice chief of Army Staff SK Singh, Lt Gen BS Thakur (Director General of Military Intelligence), Major General SL Narshiman (Additional Director General of Public Information) and Lt Col Hitten Sawhney appeared before the court in the case filed by Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh.

All the five accused were granted bail by Metropolitan Magistrate Jay Thareja on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each.

In his complaint, Tejinder Singh has accused them of misusing their official position, power and authority to level false charges against him.

Thareja had on June eight directed them to appear before him, saying they have been "summoned as accused in the present matter".

Tejinder Singh had filed the complaint alleging that he was defamed by the Army through its press release issued on March 5, which accused him of offering a bribe of Rs 14 crore to the erstwhile Army chief to clear a deal of 600 trucks, a charge refuted by him.