The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit on Tuesday dismissed a letter attributed to the ministry of home affairs (MHA), claiming the recall of Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar, Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, circulating on social media platforms as fake.
PIB has termed the letter a part of a misinformation campaign orchestrated by Pakistani propaganda accounts.
In an official post on X, PIB Fact Check clarified: “The letter is part of a misinformation campaign by Pakistani propaganda accounts. Captain Shiv Kumar continues to serve as Defence Attaché in Jakarta.”
The PIB further underlined that the postings of Indian Navy officers of the rank of Captain fall under the jurisdiction of the Integrated Headquarters of the ministry of defence (Navy), and not the ministry of home affairs.
“The ministry of home affairs has no role in the appointment or recall of Defence Attachés,” the statement read.
Citizens have been advised not to fall for misinformation and are urged to verify such claims through official sources.
Captain Shiv Kumar, an Indian naval officer currently posted as Defence Attaché in Jakarta, had recently drawn attention following remarks he made at a university seminar earlier in June.
Speaking at an event titled “Analysis of the Pakistan-India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power,” the officer had reportedly discussed the constraints placed on the Indian military during a recent conflict.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Kumar remarked that the Indian Air Force had lost “some” jets due to political directives that limited military targeting to terrorist infrastructure alone — an approach he described as “political signaling.”
“I may not agree that India lost so many aircraft. But, I do agree that we did lose some aircraft and that happened only because of the constraint given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishments and their air defences,” he had stated during the seminar.
These comments came in the backdrop of Pakistani claims that its forces had downed six Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets, during the operation. Indian authorities had refrained from detailing the extent of damages.
As video footage of Captain Kumar’s remarks began circulating online on June 29, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta issued a clarification.
It stated that the officer’s remarks had been “quoted out of context” and stressed that the Indian Armed Forces operate under civilian political leadership, in contrast to “some other countries in our neighbourhood.”
“The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood,” the embassy noted, adding that the objective of Operation Sindoor had been to target terrorist infrastructure in a non-escalatory manner.
Captain Shiv Kumar has served as Defence Attaché to the Indian Embassy in Jakarta for the past two years, following his earlier posting as Defence Attaché to Timor-Leste until 2023.
Recently, the PIB rejected posts that claimed that India’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Rahul R. Singh, admitted to being “defeated” by Pakistan’s electronic warfare and intelligence systems, with Chinese technology playing a decisive role.
“This is Fake! No such statement has been made by the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Rahul R Singh,” PIB Fact Check said on X.
Pakistani social media accounts on Saturday circulated posts online that Lt Gen Singh had allegedly said: "Pakistan's electronic warfare and C4 intelligence capability truly surprised us, and the Chinese technology played a big role in defeating India."
