Meditation At Court

Jodhpur, July 28: Colonel K.D. Singh the Commanding Officer of the 5/5 Gorkha Rifles during its Siachen tenure is trying his best to keep himself free from the psychological pressure at the times when Major Surinder Singh the accused in this case is scanning all of his statements and answers for contradictory points at the Summary of Evidence (SoE) proceedings here.

Today, Col. Singh spared few minutes to do some stretch exercises when the officer recording left the recording room for consulting legal experts on certain issues. He also kept his eyes closed as if he is meditating and answered most of the questions in morning session with the same gesture.During the tea break he share some jokes with the media persons.

“You have listened jokes about various characters but I have some jokes for you about the media,” he said and with a self-generated joke, tried to establish that media also used to exaggerate reports. Today, Col. Singh found himself in trouble when Major Singh asked him the meaning of ‘taking relevant part of the video footage’ in the process of preparation of video presentation of the battalion.

“This is a self-explanatory term which conveys meaning itself,” replied Col. Singh. At this point, the Major demanded straight answer of the question and Brigadier Philip Campose the Officer Recording SoE also said that Col. Singh must give appropriate answer to the question.Now, Col. Singh produced a long answer explaining what he meant while using the term ‘relevant part’ of the video footage.

It may be mentioned here that Major Singh has already questioned the inclusion of the video footage of the action reported by ‘A’ Company on August 24, 2003. This action was faked and though was included in the video presentation forwarded to the higher headquarters. Major Singh asked him the detail of his visits to headquarter of the ‘A’ Company headed by Major Singh.

“If you had some doubts about the varsity of the video of August 24, then why you not visited the fire location during your visit to the forward posts?” asked the Major.Col. Replied that for a Commanding Officer in the Central Siachen Glacier, it was not always possible to visit all the forward posts. On the question about the locations of the night stays during his official visits to the forward areas, Col. Singh said that he had not remembered the detail.

Gaur Also Faked!!

Jodhpur, July 28: Major Surinder Singh the accused in the Siachen ‘Killings’ Case today claimed that the action of August 8, 2003 reported by Lieutenant A.K. Gaur was also faked ‘on the order of the Commanding Officer.

Cross-examining Col. K.D. Singh the then Commanding Officer of the battalion Major Singh tried to unfold the real story behind the action of August 8 from Daas Post in Central Siachen Glacier. Col. Singh while denying this allegation on logical ground said that he had never told anyone for faking any kill.Major Singh asked the Colonel about the reason behind presenting exaggerated figures to the higher headquarters about the enemy kills by 5/5 GR.

He said that the compilation of all the situation reports and the special situation reports has indicated that the total enemy personnel killed during the entire glacier tenure of the battalion was just 36. While Col. Singh in his statement has told that the battalion had claimed 45 kills during this period.Replying this, Col. Singh said that the battalion never reported any exaggerated figure to the higher headquarter knowingly.

“The figure of 45 kills is based on the reports given by the company commanders and the Special Order of the 102 Infantry Brigade,” he added.Major Singh asked one long question that was almost like a statement about the action reported on August 8, 2003 by Lt. A.K. Gaur the post commander of Daas Post.

He alleged that Col. Singh had given specific orders to fake the action of August 8. “In last week of July 2003, you had told me to exaggerate the action. On the evening of August 8, you (Col. Singh) informed me that you had reported the Adjutant of the battalion about one enemy kill achieved from the Daas Post. You also told me to ensure the video recording regarding this ‘action’,” Major said.

According to him the video camera was not available at Daas Post, on the next morning, it was sent from company headquarter. When he got the video footage of the dead person, he got suspicious about the veracity of the video footage. Initially, Lt. Gaur claimed that the video footage is real. But on hard questioning, he revealed that it was a fake video and the man shown as dead enemy personnel is actually Shyam Lal Thapa a member of own unit.

Col Singh Wore Silence

Jodhpur, July 27: Colonel K.D. Singh, the Commanding Officer of the 5/5 Gorkha Rifles during its Siachen tenure, today wore silence about the number of enemy personnel killed by his battalion.

The figure claimed by Col. Singh during his statement at the recording of the Summary of Evidence (SoE), is now under scan. For last two days, Major Surinder Singh the accused in this case is trying to establish that Col. Singh has stated false figure in his reports to the higher headquarters and also in his statement at the SoE.

Today, at the evening session of SoE, Major Singh himself perused and complied the figures related to the enemy killed, injured, probably killed, bunkers and weapons destroyed or damaged by the 5/5 GR.After compiling the data, Major Singh asked Col. Singh to go through all the Situation Reports of the battalion once again in order to satisfy himself about the figure of kills and damages.

“It is not binding on me to peruse these documents. I am going to answer your questions according to best of my memory,” replied Col. Singh.After this the Major asked Col. Singh to tell the number of enemy personnel killed by the battalion during the period of October 7 to October 31, 2003 while including one Situation Report produced at SoE on Monday.

Col. Singh declined to tell the number of killed enemy persons and said that the SRs are there at SoE and Major Singh himself can peruse them for the desired answer. Major Singh complained Brigadier Philip Campose the Recording Officer, SoE that Col. Singh is not answering ‘important’ questions.

Categorise the Killings

Jodhpur, July 27: Major Surinder Singh the accused in the Siachen ‘Killings’ Case today questioned the method of compilation for assessing the enemy kills by the 5/5 Gorkha Rifles during its Siachen tenure.

Major Singh while cross-examining Col. K.D. Singh the then Commanding Officer of the battalion said that the enemy soldiers, mentioned either as ‘probably wounded’ and ‘probably injured or killed’ in the situation reports, have been considered as ‘killed personnel’.

Pointing at Col. Singh’s right elbow having bandage on it, Major Singh said, “You are injured since last two months. Should we consider you a dead person?” Col. Singh said that he is not injured but is been operated due to an infection. On Monday, nine Situation Reports of the 5/5 GR were produced at the Summary of Evidence (SoE).

According to these SRs, different companies of the battalion had killed eight enemy soldiers. Today Major Singh asked Col. Singh the reason behind contradiction between the figure compiled from the SRs and the figure stated by the CO.

Col. Singh said that some incidents of the situation reports have been repeated as the Special Situation Report and five of the kills mentioned in these special reports have already been mentioned in the normal SRs. Though he accepted that the enemy kills achieved on September 13, were not been included in the compiled figure.

Those 'Fake' kills...

Jodhpur, July 26: The production of nine more Situation Reports of different companies of the 5/5 Gorkha Rifles have indicated that the real figure of enemy kills is quite different from the one told by Colonel K.D. Singh the Commanding Officer of the battalion during its Siachen tenure last year.Col. Singh produced these SRs on the request of Major Surinder Singh the accused in this case.

In the evening session, Major Singh asked Col. Singh to tell the number of enemy persons killed and injured on the basis of these SRs.After compiling the data from these reports, which were forwarded by his office to the higher headquarter, Col. Singh said that there were 8 enemy kills were reported during the action against enemy’s Chaar Patthar, Chabi Flat and Delta post.

It may be mentioned here that Col. Singh in his statement at the recording of the Summary of Evidence (SoE) had said that the battalion during its Siachen tenure had claimed 45 enemy kills. The figure came in light with production of nine more SRs was apparently unnoticed in different documents produced in support of 5/5 GRs achievements in terms of enemy kills and damages.Col. Singh today also indicated that he is not sure about the genuineness of the fire assault reported by Captain A.K. Gaur on August 8, 2003.

Major Singh asked him to produced two videocassettes containing the video footages of the ‘fake’ kill, which was recorded on Col. Singh’s order.At this point, Col. Singh said that Major Surinder Singh’s contention is incorrect.

“It was you who had reported me on the evening of August 8, 2003 that one enemy has been shot by A.K. Gaur and his men. During my investigation of the kills reported by me Gaur and others have told that the encounter was genuine and not fake. I had never told anyone to fake kill. If you on your own had told so, then I am not aware,” said Col. Singh.

The long list...

Jodhpur, July 25: Major Surinder Singh the accused in the Siachen ‘Killings’ Case has produced a long list of Army officials which he wants to be produced as the Defence witnesses at the recording of the Summary of Evidence (SoE) at Jodhpur. Surprisingly, initially he had also desired to call the Chief of Army Staff and the Northern Army Commander as the defence witnesses.Counsel of the accused in Chandigarh today confirmed that Major Singh had submitted the list containing the name of the COAS and other top Army officials.

Few days back Brigadier Binod Kumar the Officiating Chief of Staff of the Desert Corps had given an ultimatum to the accused directing him to produce the list of defence witnesses in a given timeframe. After that Major Singh produced a list in which was reportedly ‘rejected’ by Brigadier Kumar.

According to the sources, Major Singh had included the name of two news channel reporters, Post Commanders of 17 Jack Rifles and 21 Grenadiers, Dass and Chaukas Post Commanders, one video forensic expert and also Brigadier H.P.S. Bedi the then Brigadier of 102 Infantry Brigade as defence witness.As the previous list was produced, Major Singh was asked to prove the relevance behind calling the COAS and other top officials as defence witnesses.

“Major Singh’s reply failed to satisfy the prosecution side and the first list was turned down. Now a fresh list has been produced by the accused,” said the sources.The new list, according to the sources, includes the name of Captain Prafull Sharma the Medical Officer of the 5/5 Gorkha Rifles, Captain Kalpatra the officer who can be proved important in the ‘Identity Card’ issue, two of the firers at one of the posts under 5/5 GR and the GS Clerk of the battalion.

The Observer

Jodhpur, July 24, 2004: Major Surinder Singh the accused in the Siachen ‘Killings’ Case today objected the presence on an ‘observer’ in the recording room of the Summary of Evidence (SoE).The issue was raised as the morning session started today.

“Can you show me the section of Military Law where there is a provision of an observer during SoE. If the observer is on-duty he should be in the military uniform,” said Major Singh to Brigadier Philip Campose the Officer Recording SoE.

He claimed that there is no such provision and the OR should mention his submission regarding this issue, on record.“I have not permitted anyone at the SoE. If you have any point, just go to your Officer Commanding and submit it,” said the OR. After this, Major Singh talked to his commander and formally submitted his objection about this.