'Was devastated by army's sudden attack'

Retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh on Tuesday deposed before a Delhi court, supporting his complaint for intiating criminal defamation against army chief General VK Singh and four others.

Retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh on Tuesday deposed before a Delhi court, supporting his complaint for intiating criminal defamation against army chief General VK Singh and four others.

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Recording his statements before Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar, who had earlier asked Tejinder Singh to record pre-summoning evidence to support his complaint, the former Lieutenant Gen said the allegations levelled against him by the army headquarters were absolutely false.

Singh told the court that between March 3 and 5, a number of media reports pointed fingers towards army chief for having allegedly ordered "unlawful monitoring" of mobiles, particularly in the South Block.

He said to divert public attention from this news, the military media cell issued a press release on March 5.

Singh counsel Anil K Aggarwal said his client was named in the press release without any proper legal action. "Without prosecution, a campaign has been launched against my client," he said.

Singh said the press release, taking his name, laid four allegations against him which were all "false".

"I was absolutely devastated with this sudden attack on me by the army headquarters," he said adding the press release "destroyed my reputation and I became a suspect in the eyes of the entire nation." He said the March 5 press release was "illegal". "Some of my friends and acquaintances have started distancing themselves from me," he said.