Another close aide of ex-Army chief Gen V K Singh shifted

Lt Gen Pillai is being shifted to the Madras Area in Tamil Nadu, sources said today.

He was appointed as the Delhi Area General Officer Commanding (GOC) by Gen V K Singh and both he and the former chief belonged to the Rajput Regiment.

The shift came a few days after Gen Singh's close associate Lt Gen A K Choudhary was removed from the key position of Director General of Military Operations(DGMO) and given the charge of the Bengal Area in Kolkata.

The sources said Lt Gen Pillai was being moved out after Army headquarters was informed about allegations that a large number of guests of a former Army Chief, who lives in the Delhi Cantt area, were being looked after by the Delhi Area.

They said a number of these guests had political affiliations also.

Three months after taking over, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh has started bringing in officers of his choice as his Principal Staff Officers (PSOs).

He has brought in Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia as the DGMO and Lt Gen J S Bajwa has been appointed as the DG (Infantry) and both the officers have worked closely with Gen Bikram Singh during his stint as Eastern Army Commander.

Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, who also served with the present Chief in Kolkata-based Eastern Command, has been given the charge of the Assam Rifles.

More changes are expected to be made by the Chief in the near future.