GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 7th Feb. The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Army officer Manish Bhatnagar, who alleged lapses in the Army’s response to intelligence on Pakistan’s incursions before the 1999 Kargil war.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar stated that national defense matters fall under the executive’s purview and should not be judicially scrutinized. “The judiciary normally does not go into matters of national defence… What happened in 1999 is an internal matter of executive decision,” the bench observed.
Bhatnagar, a former officer of the 5th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, claimed he had provided credible intelligence on Pakistan’s intrusion in Kargil as early as January-February 1999, but his reports were ignored. He alleged that when the conflict escalated, he was court-martialed on another pretext and dismissed from the Army.
The Supreme Court advised Bhatnagar to let the issue rest, stating that some matters should remain untouched. Following the bench’s observations, Bhatnagar sought to withdraw his PIL, which was granted.
The Kargil war took place between May and July 1999, when the Indian Army launched operations to push back Pakistani forces that had infiltrated into Indian territory.
The post SC Rejects PIL on Alleged Army Lapses Before 1999 Kargil War appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
