Former Kargil War Brigadier Surinder Singh has moved the Supreme Court demanding a fresh probe into the 1999 conflict. Alleging manipulation, he said, “Truth remains obscured by bureaucratic silence and doctored reports,” seeking historical corrections.
Brigadier Surinder Singh (Retd), who led the Kargil Brigade during the 1999 war, approached the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a new investigation and “corrections” in the historical narrative of the Kargil War.
The petition, submitted just two days before the 26th anniversary of the conflict, calls for an inquiry to be conducted by either a committee led by an SC judge or a group of ministers.
Brigadier Singh, who filed the petition in the interest of the public, highlighted that 527 of India’s brave soldiers sacrificed their lives and claimed that the “truth remains obscured by bureaucratic silence and doctored reports.”
Alleging a cover-up, manipulation of war records, and “betrayal from within,” the 78-year-old Sena Medal awardee, who has been wounded in combat twice, has pointed to the highest levels of Army command at the time.
He emphasized the need to investigate the “logical and natural deduction of prior knowledge of the enemy intrusions” by the Army leadership.
Notably, Singh is the only Army officer dismissed from service without a general court martial.
In his plea, the former Brigadier argued that the 121 (Kargil) Brigade was not permitted to use its own artillery, while the Pakistani forces utilized their air defense artillery guns from Point 5108 to inflict casualties on Indian troops and provide covering fire for their intrusions.
The enemy’s “unprecedented covering fire” in this area is documented, including in the diary of slain Captain Saurabh Kalia, yet it was not included in the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report, according to his petition.
The document also states that the General Officer Commanding (GOC) ordered the evacuation of Bajrang Post in the Kargil sector in February 1999, and Singh’s request to reoccupy it in April was denied. Orders to retake the post were only given in June 1999.
It was at this location that Captain Kalia’s patrol was attacked by enemy intruders on May 14, 1999, leading to his capture and brutal torture, ultimately resulting in his death along with five other soldiers.
The plea highlights confusion within the headquarters of the 3-Infantry Division at the onset of the war.
The petition states,
“It is pertinent to mention here that against all military teaching and established practices, headquarters 3-Infantry Division did not have an Op Order (Operational Order) for fighting a defensive war, ensuring the sanctity of the Line of Control. All this was well within the knowledge of the then Chief of Army Staff,”
It also claims that ‘Operation Vijay’ was abruptly called off on July 26, 1999, even though several crucial positions had yet to be recaptured from the enemy, particularly Point 5353, which continues to overlook Drass.
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Furthermore, it alleges that the GOC Budhwar withheld situation reports of enemy intrusions from the neighboring 102 Infantry Brigade Sector in January and February 1999, preventing them from reaching Singh’s brigade for reasons deemed unprofessional.
The petition asserts that had these reports been shared, it could have alerted the entire Kargil-Batalik-Chorbat La-Shyok Valley front and thwarted further enemy incursions.
Stressing the urgency of his petition, Brigadier Singh noted that many senior officers are aging and should be questioned regarding their actions, which may have inadvertently aided the enemy.