New Delhi, Feb. 13: A spate of controversies threatens to overcome the defence ministry and army headquarters in the wake of the Supreme Court’s comments that led Gen. V.K. Singh to withdraw his petition against the government over his date of birth row last week.

An armed forces tribunal in Chandigarh is likely to hear a petition tomorrow by a major general that Gen. Singh victimised him after he refused to accept his requests to correct his date of birth in the records of the military secretariat.

In Calcutta, a lieutenant colonel has gone to court asking for a stay on the appointment of an alleged favourite of the army chief as the judge advocate general, the army’s top legal officer. The post has been vacant since January 31 this year.

Army headquarters today also announced the appointment of Lt Gen. Ramesh Halgali as the deputy chief of army staff (information systems and training). He was at the centre of the investigation into the Sukna scam, unearthed when Gen. Singh was the eastern army commander. Initially Lt Gen. Halgali was mildly reprimanded but it later transpired that he played the role of whistleblower.

He fills a post that was vacant for about a month after the defence ministry deliberated over the recommendation of the army chief.

A crucial position that has now fallen vacant again in army headquarters is that of the judge advocate general (JAG), a statutory post unique to the military.

Army headquarters has recommended the appointment of Brigadier P.S. Rathore to the post on promotion to the rank of major general. The last JAG, Major Gen. C.S. Nair, retired on January 31.

Brigadier Rathore was the deputy JAG in the south-western command in Jaipur. He has been posted as an additional officer in army headquarters in anticipation that he will become the JAG on the recommendation of the army chief. But the Calcutta bench of the armed forces tribunal stayed his appointment against a government order on his promotion after an officer junior to him, Lt Col. Mukul Dev, accused him of passing orders beyond his jurisdiction.

Dev, who is also a law officer, is now posted in Calcutta. Speaking on his behalf, a former colleague, retired Col. P.N. Chaturvedi, today said the tribunal had ordered the personal appearance of defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, Gen. Singh, central army commander Lt Gen. V.K. Ahluwalia and the adjutant general Lt Gen. Nehra before it.

On February 7, after a member of the tribunal, Lt Gen. K.P.D. Samanta, fell ill and was substituted by Lt Gen. Brar from the Chandigarh bench, the government won the case to vacate the stay order. The aggrieved officer, Lt Col. Mukul Dev, has now filed a writ in Calcutta High Court.

In the meanwhile, Chaturvedi said, the defence ministry had sought a report from army headquarters on Brigadier Rathore’s appointment that the army has yet to respond to. “I do not know who’s favouring him (Rathore) but the fact is that no action has been taken despite a court of inquiry indicting him. Instead he has been recommended for promotion.”