Army probe against tainted ex-aide of Rodrigues sought

CHANDIGARH - A city-based NGO Saturday demanded a military court of inquiry against Major Nirvikar Singh, aide-de-camp (ADC) of former Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator S.F. Rodrigues, facing corruption charges.

The demand from the NGO, involving many retired defence officials and social workers, follows the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) recent decision to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Singh, his mother and brother.

His name figured in a case of amassing disproportionate assets and wealth during his tenure here as ADC to Rodrigues, a former Indian army chief.

“For the last many months, we were trying to apprise the administration about the unwarranted and unauthorised involvement of Nirvikar Singh in various multi-crore (rupee) mega-project frauds. But nobody was listening to us,” said Kuldip Singh Kahlon, president of Chandigarh Sanjha Morcha (joint forum) and president of All India Defence Brotherhood (Punjab and Chandigarh), while talking to reporters here Saturday.

“Now our stand has been vindicated. Rodrigues knew about all details and every investment made by Nirvikar Singh. We urge the army chief to immediately order court martial of Nirvikar Singh and a separate military court of inquiry against him and Rodrigues,” he said.

Sources in the CBI revealed that Singh, who is presently on deputation with Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in New Delhi, had incurred an expenditure of over Rs.9 crore in a span of just two years (2008-09).

Kahlon demanded that Singh should be removed from his present sensitive assignment in RAW and attached to some local military station till the completion of the CBI inquiry and military court of inquiry.

Social activist Hemant Goswami said: “Since it appears that Rodrigues not only helped Nirvikar Singh in amassing disproportionate wealth but also facilitated him by signing his annual property declaration; therefore the army has full authority to summon Rodrigues in the court martial and punish him if found guilty.”

The CBI is also probing the allotment of different mega-projects, worth crores of rupees, to private bidders by the administration. These projects were initiated in the last six years, during the tenure of Rodrigues.