V.K. remark: SC takes cognisance

In fresh trouble for former Army Chief General V.K. Singh (Retd), the Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the remarks made by him against it on September 22 in connection with the case concerning the controversy over his age. The apex court will take up the matter on Tuesday. A bench of justices R.M. Lodha and H.L. Gokhale had earlier dismissed Singh’s plea against the Centre on his age row. The same bench on Monday took cognisance of a news report published 10 days ago in an English daily quoting Gen. Singh as saying that the apex court had not gone into the merits of the arguments that he had given on the issue of his age during the proceedings. According to the news report, Gen. V.K. Singh had raised the question as to why the apex court had not decided his age on the basis of his matriculation certificate if such a document is relied upon while deciding the age of a rape victim. “If the court can define the age of a rape victim on the basis of his matriculation certificate then why has the Supreme Court failed to decide my age despite checking and cross checking my certificate ,” Gen. Singh was quoted as having said in the report. Gen. V.K. Singh had on February 10 last year lost the matter in the Supreme Court concerning the controversy over his age. The apex court had said the government’s decision on his date of birth will apply for his service matters.