Army Chief refuses to comment on age row

New Delhi, Jan 23 (ANI): Chief of Army Staff, General V.K. Singh, on Monday refused to comment on the ongoing issue surrounding his date of birth, saying the matter is sub-judice.

"What is it that you want to know, that particular issue is sub-judice. So. I can't say anything about it," General Singh told mediapersons here.

The Supreme Court had earlier on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a direction to the government to restore the date of birth of Army Chief as May 10, 1951, and said it was not maintainable in law.

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia said: "In our view, the writ petition filed at the behest of an association is not maintainable. The writ petition is dismissed as not maintainable. This is purely a service matter."

The bench expressed its disappointment that the PIL filed by The Grenadiers Association (Rohtak Chapter) annexed the opinions of former chief justices of India in the petition on the age row of Army Chief when they themselves said it is not for being putting up before the court.

The apex court bench further said the affected person was not before it and entertaining a PIL based on newspaper headlines will set a "bad precedence" and lead to a "chaotic situation".

General Singh, who has become the first serving military chief to take the government to court, had earlier filed a petition before the apex court seeking a direction to the government that his date of birth be treated as 10.5.1951 and not 1950. (ANI)