Kargil war hero now fights a court battle

New Delhi: Almost 10 years after the Kargil war, the Armed Forces Tribunal has started hearing the first of Kargil war-related cases.

Brigadier Devinder Singh, considered to be the man behind the Batalik victory, has alleged that his seniors denied him and his formation their due contribution in this critical battle by fudging battle reports.

The hero of Batalik many believe led the Indian Army to one of its toughest and finest victories in the Kargil battle.

Now Brigadier Devinder Singh, then commander of the 70 Infantry Brigade, is fighting another battle at the Armed Forces Tribunal.

He has alleged that top commanders fabricated war records to deny him and his formation credit for the winning Point 5203.

At the centre of these allegations are serious irregularities.

The official citation given to Brigadier Singh for gallantry, a copy of which is with CNN-IBN hails his leadership. Yet all this battle valour meant nothing.

Brigadier Singh was passed over for promotion and received a Vishisht Seva Medal, normally given for peacetime duties.

The second big loophole is the citation that clearly says he personally led the critical battle and continued to fight unmindful of his personal safety.

But the battle performance report made by his senior, the then GoC of 15 corps, Lt Gen Kishan Pal said that Brigadier Singh had little to do with the success in Batalik.

The third lapse is an after-action report prepared by Lt Gen Pal's headquarters that claims that it was a certain Brigadier Duggal who had control of four battalions which led the assault.

Officers of these units have directly disputed the claim.

So where does the truth lie?

Brigadier Singh alleges that his senior and the GoC of 15 Corps Lt Gen Kishan Pal is trying to cover up his own error in judgement that only 45 terrorists were hiding in the Batalik sub sector instead of the 600 Brigadier Singh claimed he was confronting.

Brigadier Singh's assessment was later proved correct.

So who won Batlaik, were top generals protecting themselves from their gross underestimation? It's a battle that could well change the course of military history.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/111769/kargil-war-hero-now-fights-a-court-battle.html