SC to go only into pay and pension of Lt Gen Dastane

The Supreme Court will only look into issues of rank, pay and pension of an army officer, who before his retirement had challenged the government's decision to appoint Dalbir Singh Suhag as the Army chief.
"Other issues of pay, pension and monetary benefit have to be seen," a bench comprising justices T S Thakur, A K Goel and R Banumathi said today, while posting the matter for hearing in normal/regular course.
At the outset, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said Lt Gen Ravi Dastane, who had challenged the appointment of the then Lt Gen Suhag as the next army chief, has retired on September 30, so, no claim of his is left to be looked into.

However, Dastane's counsel R K Anand said there are other issues which have to be addressed.
Lt Gen Suhag took over as the Army Chief on August 1. The apex court on July 7 had refused to stay Suhag's appointment.
The Centre had also justified the appointment, saying there was nothing in the allegations levelled by Lt Gen Dastane, and Suhag fulfilled all the criteria for the post. He was the senior most in the seniority list, it had said.
The Attorney General on July 7 had said that the ban imposed on Lt Gen Suhag in 2012 was lifted and he was discharged from all charges.

Lt Gen Dastane, since retired, had alleged favouritism in the selection of Lt Gen Suhag as the Army chief.