The Armed Forces Tribunal on Monday dismissed Vice Admiral Bimal Verma’s petition challenging the appointment of Karambir Singh as the Navy chief on the grounds that the former was the senior most officer for the top job. Verma had filed the petition days after the Government announced Singh as the new Chief after then chief Sunil Lanba was to retire on May 31. Singh took charge the next day.
In his petition in May, Verma, now heading the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar tri-service command, contended that the tribunal should call for his service records besides that of the then incoming chief and see if any “extraneous or irrelevant considerations” were placed before the competent authority to reject his case while the Navy Chief appointment was being made.
Verma also contended that he was the senior most officer after Lanba to be considered for the top job. He was overlooked by the Government and Singh was made the chief. Verma is set to retire in November.
The NDA Government in its 2014-2019 tenure set aside the convention of selecting the senior most officer as the chief and named Bipin Rawat as the Army Chief though he was junior to Lt General P Bakshi. Similarly, Karambir Singh was appointed the Navy chief.
Verma filed the petition in May after the Defence Ministry rejected his statutory complaint challenging Singh’s appointment.
The first plea by Verma was filed in April after the Government announced its decision about Singh.
While rejecting his plea, the Defence Ministry had then clarified that though seniority is an important criterion while appointing services chiefs but it is not the “sole” criterion and has been dispensed with the past too while appointing Navy chiefs.
“The Central Government after careful examination of the matter is of the opinion that this statutory petition dated April 10, 2019, from Vice Admiral Bimal Kumar Verma regarding his non-selection as the chief of naval staff is devoid of merit and be rejected,” the Defence Ministry had said while rejecting the officer’s plea.
The Defence Ministry also made it clear that being the seniormost officer, Vice Admiral Verma was also considered for the appointment to the post of Navy Chief but was “found unsuitable’ to the appointment of the Chief of Naval Staff.
“Upon examination, the Central Government is satisfied that the parameters for selection as evident from consistent practice were applied uniformly to all the officers in the zone of consideration and based on the assessment, Vice Admiral Bimal Kumar Verma being the senior most eligible officer was considered and found unsuitable to tenant the appointment of Chief of naval staff.”
“The Central Government is also satisfied that no unsubstantiated frivolous, extraneous or irrelevant consideration has had a bearing on this said selection,” the Defence Ministry had said.
In the order, the Defence Ministry also mentioned that the officer was not considered for being awarded the Param Vishisht Sewa Medal and was also not given the command of either the Eastern or the Western commands.