Peeved over non-promotion, Maj Gen stages protest at Army HQs

New Delhi, Sept 3 (UNI) In the first-ever incident of its kind, a Major General, who retired from service after not getting promoted to Lt General, today came to his old office at the Army Hqs and refused to budge from it.

Attired in civilian garb, Maj Gen V C Jain, who retired on August 31 as the Addl Director General (Admin&Coord), entered the Sena Bhawan, along with his lawyer, and refused all requests to leave the place, sources said.

The two-star general had been empanelled in the list for promotion to the higher rank but was not considered as there was no vacancy for a Lt General. Among the list, Maj Gen K P D Samanta -- who was senior to Maj Gen -- was promoted to three-star rank and appointed the Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles. He replaces Lt Gen A K Saini, who reired on August 31.

The sources said both the Defence Ministry and the Army Hqs had taken grave note of the conduct of Maj Gen Jain, who only left the premises after a long-drawn argument, during which it was also pointed out that his act, in entering the restricted access installation, with his lawyer, amounted to unauthorised entry.

Maj Gen Jain had filed a petition in the High Court on the date of his retirement, but it had refused him an interim stay order and set September 24 for the hearing of the case.

UNI