Exposed: India’s ex-army chief ‘misused secret funds’

Money used to topple Omar govt in Indian-administered Kashmir, tap phone lines in Delhi.

An intelligence unit set up by former Indian army chief General (Retd) VK Singh misused its funds to topple the Omar Abdullah government in Indian Kashmir, according the Indian Express newspaper.

The newspaper quoted an Indian army classified report in which the secret funds were also allegedly used to try to change the line of succession in the army brass, to conduct ‘unauthorised’ covert operations, and to buy off-air interception equipment.

These allegations were levelled in the classified Indian army report on the Indian Military Intelligence’s (MI) controversial and secret Technical Services Division (TSD), which claimed that the unit was involved in unauthorised operations and financial wrongdoings.

An NGO was also paid to file an application to dismiss a case against VK Singh’s ‘favourite’, Bikram Singh, in Kashmir. Indian Express claimed that this was done to ensure that no hurdle is created in Bikram Singh – who is currently the Indian army chief – becoming VK’s successor.

According to the report, the funds were also used to buy interception equipment with which the TSD tapped phone calls in important areas of Delhi. Outrage and an exchange of political slur ensued between rival political parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. A minister told Indian Express that a probe into the ‘extremely sensitive’ matter by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s law-enforcement agency for corruption cases, can be expected.

Meanwhile, the Indian defence ministry has acknowledged that it has received such a report.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2013.