New Delhi, May 12: The Army today shifted its controversial officer Col K D Singh, Commander of the battalion involved in Siachen "fake killings" and demolition of enemy bunkers, out of the highest battlefield of the world in the interest of "transparent" trial, defence sources here said. Singh would be replaced by Col J D Khosla, they said. The transfer of Singh came in the wake of Maj Surinder Singh, the army officer alleged to be behind the "fake killings", had moved a court that the trial be moved out of Jammu and Kashmir and that the proceedings would be open to public. Surinder Singh, who as a company commander in 5/5 Gorkha rifles allegedly staged fake killings and demolitions of enemy bunkers, had filed a petition to be moved to a location where he would get fair opportunity to defend himself.

He had challenged the (army's) order of his attachment to a remote unit in the Kashmir valley on the grounds that there is a restriction placed by the medical board on his employability that he is unfit for service in high altitude area.
He had said that the unit to which he is being attached is at such a place which is insurgency infested area and where his health will suffer and no counsel could go there to defend himself.
Accordingly, the trial and recording of summary evidence will be held in an army court at Nasirabad in Rajasthan.

Bureau Report