Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

The CBI has received sanctions from the government to prosecute four serving and retired Navy officers in connection with alleged corruption in purchase of spare parts to retrofit Russian Kilo-class submarines, officials said today.

‘Irregularities’ in purchase of spare parts

• Sanction given to prosecute Commander SJ Singh (retd) and three serving commanders Ajit Pandey, Abhishek Kumar Shar and Jagdeesh Chander
• Their names figure in CBI chargesheets over alleged corruption in purchase of spare parts to retrofit Russian Kilo-class submarines

The officials said that the CBI had filed chargesheets in November last year, which was within two months of initiating a probe into a corruption case.

After filing the chargesheet, the CBI had sought the government’s sanction to prosecute accused Navy officers, including Commander SJ Singh (retired) and three serving commanders — Ajit Pandey, Abhishek Kumar Shar and Jagdeesh Chander, they said. The government has given the sanction to prosecute the four accused figuring in the the chargesheets, which means that the trial in the case was likely to begin soon, the officials noted.

Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act makes it mandatory for the CBI to get the government’s nod before initiating the prosecution of an accused, they said.

The officials said the CBI had already intimated to the special court here that it had got the government’s nod to prosecute the officials.

The CBI had registered a case against the accused on the basis of inputs received by it that some serving officers at the Western Headquarters of the Navy, working on retrofitting Russian Kilo-class submarines, were allegedly influenced by retired officers and receiving pecuniary benefits, the officials said.

After registering a case on September 2, the agency conducted searches the next day, during which two retired officers, Commodore Randeep Singh and Commander SJ Singh were arrested in a trap operation, they said, adding that an amount of Rs 2.4 crore was recovered, which included the trap money. Subsequently, the CBI took Commander Ajeet Kumar Pandey into custody, they said.

The officials said an alleged “hawala” operator and the director of a private company were also taken into custody during the probe in connection with the case.

More than three months after the Chandigarh University girl ‘video leak’ case, main suspect Sanjeev Singh, an Army man from Samba, got the regular bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 19. – File photo
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Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 21

More than three months after the Chandigarh University girl ‘video leak’ case, main suspect Sanjeev Singh, an Army man from Samba, got the regular bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 19. He was arrested on September 24 and since then he had been in custody. With this, all suspects in the sensational case are out of jail.

The Chandigarh University girl, an MBA first-year student, was released from jail earlier. Two HP youths were not chargesheeted after their involvement was not established in the case.

Suspect Sanjeev Singh had filed for a regular bail on December 18. Sanjeev’s counsel argued that there was nothing on record to show that he had circulated the video to anybody. His bail application had been declined twice, he stated.

In the chargesheet, the police had stated that suspect Sanjeev Singh was forcing the girl to send videos of other girl students but the suspect girl only sent her own photos/videos.

While Pakistan, assisted by China, looks set to acquire eight submarines over the next decade, Navy veterans are concerned about India’s depleting underwater warfare capabilities, thanks to a submarine crunch
Indian submariners, on December 8, took to social media to wish everyone on the occasion of Indian Submarine Day. It was on this very day in 1967 that the Indian Navy’s first submarine, INS Kalvari, was commissioned at the Soviet era seaport of Riga. But celebrations aside, submariners and Navy veterans are also concerned about the depleting underwater warfare capabilities of the Indian Navy, thanks to a submarine crunch.
The Indian Navy, on November 20, received the fifth Scorpene-class submarine Vagir. The submarine was built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai in collaboration with the Naval Group of France, under the Indian Navy’s Project-75, which entails indigenously producing six Scorpene submarines.
According to the developers, INS Vagir can undertake multifarious missions, such as anti-surface, anti-submarine, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance. It is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. The developers see INS Vagir as a transformational shift in submarine operations. While INS Vagir will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy, INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and the last submarine of Scorpene class, is undergoing trials.
India has 15 conventional and one nuclear submarine. But most of the fleet is three decades old. The navy needs at least 24 submarines to meet its 30-year submarine-building plan, which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 1999 after the Kargil War. The plan was to induct 12 diesel-powered submarines by 2012 and another 12 by 2030. But repeated delays have forced the Navy to rejig the plan. The revised plan is to have 18 diesel-powered submarines and six SSNs (nuclear-powered submarines).
In a recent conversation, Vice Admiral A.K. Singh (Retd), who commanded India’s first nuclear-powered attack submarine INS Chakra, taken on lease from Russia, said that while China remains India’s biggest threat, even the smaller navy of Pakistan was leaping ahead of the Indian Navy. “Our underwater capabilities are pathetic and it’s high time we speed up,” said Singh.
In 2015, Pakistan had signed a contract with China to build eight Yuan-class (Type 039-A) conventional AIP (air-independent propulsion) submarines for an estimated $5 billion. The first four submarines will be built in China and the remaining four by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW). Going by the pace of Chinese shipbuilding, the first submarine is expected to be delivered to the Pakistan Navy by the end of 2023. Pakistan is likely to acquire all eight submarines over the next decade or so, which arguably puts it ahead of India in terms of underwater warfare capability.
On the other hand, the Indian Navy’s Project-75, initiated way back in November 2007 with an estimated outlay of Rs 43,000 crore for building six conventional submarines with better sensors and weapons and an AIP system, ran into rough weather due to certain specifications demanded by the Indian Navy. These were not agreeable to the submarine manufacturers. In a bid to resolve the issue, the Indian Navy has approached the defence ministry for relaxation of certain specifications and extending the deadline for the shortlisted shipyard to respond to the RFP (request for proposal).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair a key Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting on Thursday as several items on the shopping list of the Army, Navy and Air Force are under consideration
The Council, including the chief of defence staff, General Anil Chauhan and the three chiefs, will look at a number of high-tech weapons.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh will chair an important Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting tomorrow (December 21, Thursday). It’s a big meeting as about two-dozen items of the army, navy and air force are on the agenda. The Council, including the chief of defence staff, General Anil Chauhan and the three chiefs, will look at a number of high-tech weapons.
They include the acquisition of:
* High Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vessels for the Navy. These will be unmanned and will have the capability to detect underwater mines. They can also be involved in surveillance, and if they have sonar, it is even possible for them to look for submarines.
* The Navy also has a requirement for medium range maritime aircraft. The Navy does have the American P8Is, but they are primarily for anti-submarine warfare. These aircraft can also be used for surveillance, particularly along the coastline and in the Andaman and Lakshadweep areas.
* The Navy is looking for a Multipurpose vessel, which can be used to ferry loads of different kinds. It can be a general-purpose ship that can carry different things from ammunition to other equipment.
* On the agenda is an air-launched anti-ship missile. With a good range, this can be particularly effective against enemy shipping. Anti-ship missiles are sub-sonic at least and hard to counter and therefore, effective.
*There is also a discussion on Shtil air-defence missiles, the Navy has already placed on some of its ships for over a decade. They began coming from Russia in the early 2000s.
* The Indian Air Force is looking for ARMs or anti-radiation missiles. These are particularly potent against radars and missile batteries which usually have two radars.
* An old requirement of the IAF – low level transportable radars – will also be discussed by the DAC.

PTI

New Delhi, December 22

India and China held a fresh round of high-level military talks on December 20 with a focus on resolving the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh, a joint statement said on Thursday.

It said the talks were “frank and in-depth” keeping in line with the guidance provided by the leaders of the two countries to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

“The 17th round of India-China Corps Commander level meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on December 20,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a media briefing, reading from the statement.

He said the two sides exchanged views on the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western sector in an “open and constructive manner”.

“They had a frank and in-depth discussion, keeping in line with the guidance provided by the state leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest which would help in restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western sector and enable progress in bilateral relations,” the statement said.

The eastern Ladakh region is referred to as Western sector by the government.

“In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western sector,” the statement said.

“The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest,” it said.

The RPG attacks were carried out with a demonstrative intent rather than to cause large-scale collateral damage — to send out a message of the capabilities of anti-national elements to repeatedly carry out such strikes and gain experience for more effective and successful attacks in future. Attacks on the police and Army reflect the motive of the perpetrators to systematically undermine the government machinery.

Lt Gen SK Saini (retd)

Former Vice Chief Of Army Staff

SARHALI police station in the border district of Tarn Taran (Punjab) was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) on December 10. Though no casualty was reported, windowpanes of the adjoining Saanjh Kendar and a portion of the wall were damaged in the attack.

According to the police, the recovered RPG seemed to have been smuggled from across the border. The Punjab Police have seized several drones, arms and ammunition this year in areas along the India-Pakistan border.

Earlier this year, an RPG was fired at the Punjab Police’s Intelligence headquarters in Mohali. There have been three other attacks in Punjab launched with weapons other than RPG, including a grenade blast outside the gate of the Army cantonment in Pathankot.

According to media reports, the police and investigation agencies have found a common thread in various attacks. The accused were lured with money and foreign dreams to carry out these strikes. Gangsters, shooters and even small-time criminals executed the attacks on the ground.

The second RPG incident in seven months has far-reaching security ramifications that need to be understood and corrective measures should be taken before the situation deteriorates.

Apparently, both RPG attacks were carried out with a demonstrative intent rather than to cause large-scale collateral damage — to send out a message of the capabilities of anti-national elements to repeatedly carry out such attacks at will and gain experience for more effective and successful strikes in future.

Attacks on the police and the Army reflect the motive of the perpetrators to systematically undermine the government machinery. This will, in time, lead to a perception of incompetence of the government to safeguard its citizens, creating alienation and insecurity.

The use of RPG in these two attacks is itself alarming. The RPG is a 70-mm heavy-calibre Soviet-era weapon used by regular armies to destroy hardened targets. According to South Asia Terrorism Portal, there were just 43 incidents of rocket attacks in J&K between 2000 and 2014. Availability of such weapons in Punjab at this juncture is a cause for concern. Incidents of drones being used to ferry weapons, ammunition and narcotics across the border are being regularly reported. Punjab has witnessed an alarming increase in drone activities across the international border with Pakistan this year as compared to previous years.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which guards the borders with Pakistan, has collated around 200 drone incidents this year at various points along the border, according to data available with the Punjab Police. Drones fly at low altitude above the ground level and are difficult to detect by conventional air-surveillance radars deployed along the border. Given their small size and minimal cost, they have become the preferred mode for cross-border ferrying of illicit consignments.

It is also apparent that these attacks were carried out by untrained persons rather than by trained terrorists as no casualties took place. Moreover, even the rocket launcher used in the attack was recovered from the scene, which a well-trained person will rarely do. It also indicates that such weapon systems are available in adequate numbers, making their retrieval after the attack unnecessary. More importantly, the execution of such attacks has been outsourced to criminals who are acting like overground workers of terrorist organisations. As time passes, they can enhance the survivability and relevance of the terrorists to further create a sense of lawlessness and insecurity.https://6b1799893559f4bc52b3923a6debe3e1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The nexus between terrorist organisations and criminal elements is evident from the findings of the preliminary police investigation into the Tarn Taran incident. According to the police, the December 10 attack was masterminded by foreign-based wanted terrorists at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) with the help of a prisoner currently lodged in the Goindwal Sahib jail.

The police also arrested four persons who provided logistical support to two juveniles who carried out the attack. The Punjab DGP told the media that foreign-based handlers used “cutouts and dead letter box techniques for retrieval of consignments and establishing contact so that the module members were assigned tasks directly by the handlers and were aware of their roles only.” Even the identities of sub-modules remained hidden from other sub-modules. Monetary allurement appears to be the main motivating factor for the attackers.

The security establishment also needs to recognise the fact that these anti-national elements have the ability to establish safe houses and weapon caches within rural as well as urban Punjab. While funds for such actions may be channelled externally, financing of terrorist activities internally needs to be looked into.

It is not too late to reverse this decline by breaking the terrorist-criminal-gangster nexus through coordinated and effective border management, including anti-drone measures, and relentless intelligence-based operations against anti-national elements. Anti-drone measures along the western border need to be put in place with the Ministry of Home Affairs taking the lead. It will entail inter-agency coordination, real-time intelligence-sharing, a surveillance grid, both technical and physical, and soft and hard kill counter-drone weapon systems deployment along the border.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

India and Japan are set to conduct their first-ever bilateral combat air exercise over 10 days in Japan next month.

The exercise named ‘Veer Guardian 23’ will be conducted from January 16 to January 26. The Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) will conduct a bilateral fighter training with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The exercise aims to promote mutual understanding and strengthen defence cooperation between the air forces.

IAF will be fielding its Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft drawn from a squadron under the Western Air Command. The IAF 150 crew will be flying in IAF’s C-17 transport aircraft. The fighter jets on their journey from India to Japan will be re-fuelled mid-air using the IL-78 planes of the IAF.

Japan will field its F-2 jets which are derivatives of the F-16 plane of the US. It will also field the F-15, like the oones used by the US too.

The exercise will at Hyakuri Air Base north-west of Tokyo.

PTI

New Delhi, December 22

The defence ministry on Thursday approved the procurement of a number of military platforms and weapons, including light tanks, anti-ship missiles and long range guided bombs at a cost of Rs 84,328 crore to boost combat capabilities of the armed forces.

The procurement proposals were cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement came amid a spike in tensions between India and China after troops from the two sides were engaged in a clash along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.

Sources said the light tanks and mounted gun system are set to be deployed in high-altitude forward areas, including along the LAC.

The defence ministry said the DAC accorded approval for 24 capital acquisition proposals which include six for Indian Army, six for Indian Air Force, 10 for Indian Navy and two for Indian Coast Guard, adding the total value of the procurement would be Rs 84,328 crore.

It said the proposals include procurement of futuristic infantry combat vehicles, light tanks, naval anti-ship missiles, multi-purpose vessels, new range of missile systems, long range guided bombs and next generation offshore patrol vessels.

The ministry said 21 proposals worth Rs 82,127 crore will be procured from indigenous sources

“It is pertinent to mention that 21 proposals, worth Rs 82,127 crore (97.4 per cent), are approved for procurement from indigenous sources. This unprecedented initiative of DAC will not only modernise the armed forces but also provide substantial boost to the defence industry to achieve the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’,” the ministry said.

It said the procurement for the Army included futuristic infantry combat vehicles, light tanks and mounted gun system, adding they will provide a quantum jump to the force’s operational preparedness.

“Proposals approved also include procurement of ballistic helmets, with enhanced protection level, for our soldiers,” the ministry said in a statement

“Approvals for procurement of naval anti-ship missiles, multi-purpose vessels and high endurance autonomous vehicles will further enhance maritime strength giving a boost to the Indian Navy’s capabilities,” it said.

The ministry said the Indian Air Force will be further strengthened with enhanced lethal capabilities by induction of new range of missile systems, long range guided bombs, range augmentation kit for conventional bombs and advanced surveillance systems.

“The procurement of next generation offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard will enhance surveillance capability in the coastal areas to new heights,” it said.

India has been focusing on enhancing the combat capabilities of the armed forces deployed along the LAC following the eastern Ladakh row.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL challenging a government notification allowing Sikhs to carry the “kirpan” in domestic civilian flights. “Dismissed”, said a Bench led by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, which had on December 15 reserved its verdict on the PIL by Harsh Vibhore Singhal. Singhal, a lawyer, had demanded that a committee of stakeholders should be constituted to “apply its mind” to the issue. He had challenged a March 4, 2022, notification by the Centre.