Defamation case against V.K. Singh to be heard July 19

A court here Monday posted for July 19 the hearing of a criminal defamation case against former army chief V.K. Singh.

Metropolitan Magistrate Dheeraj Mittal was scheduled to hear the case Monday but it was posted for July 19 as he is on leave.

On Dec 9, 2013, the court had given a four-month deadline to the central government for granting sanction to prosecute four army officials accused in a criminal defamation case along with V.K. Singh.

The court has directed the complainant Lt. Gen. (retd) Tejinder Singh to approach the central government on the issue.

Tejinder Singh had moved the court seeking initiation of disciplinary legal action against Gen. (retd) V.K. Singh, army vice chief Lt. Gen. S.K. Singh, Director General Military Intelligence Lt. Gen. B.S. Thakur, Additional Director General of Public Information Maj. Gen. S.L. Narasimhan and Lt. Col. Hitten Sawhney.

The court was hearing applications filed by four army officials seeking appropriate directions or dropping of proceedings against them for want of sanction to prosecute them under section 197(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which stipulates that the court should not take cognizance of alleged offence without prior sanction of the government.

The court said that if the government fails to grant or refuse the sanction within three-four months of the application filed by the complainant, he would be at liberty to approach the court and seek continuance of the present case on the premise that the sanction may be deemed to have been granted.