Supersession row: Vice-Admiral files plaint with MoD
Vice-Admiral Verma has asked the defence ministry to expedite his complaint and take a decision on the petition within 10 days.
New Delhi: Vice-Admiral Bimal Verma on Thursday filed a statutory complaint to the defence ministry challenging his supersession for the post of Navy Chief.
Vice-Admiral Verma has asked the defence ministry to expedite his complaint and take a decision on the petition within 10 days.
Earlier this week, he had withdrawn his petition before the Armed Forces Tribunal because as per rules he has to first approach the ministry of defence for redressal of his grievance.
He has the right to approach the court if he is not satisfied with the way his complaint is addressed by the defence ministry.
In his petition to the tribunal, Vice-Admiral Verma, who is currently Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, had said that the government had in an “arbitrary and whimsical” manner ignored the recommendation of the Chief of Naval Staff and appointed his junior Vice-Admiral Kara-mbir Singh as the next chief of the Indian Navy.
Vice-Admiral Singh is at present serving as the Flag Officer Command-ing-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. He would be the first helicopter pilot of the Indian Navy to be appointed as the Chief of the Naval Staff and will be the Navy Chief till November 2021.
In second supersession, Eastern Naval Command chief Vice-Admiral Singh last month was nominated as the next Navy Chief.