General Bikram Singh, an infantryman has assumed command of the 1.13 million strong Indian Army. His name was declared 3 months back in light of controversy raised by Outgoing Chief General V K Singh.
However, the present Army Chief is also a subject to intrinsic controversy especially related to his role in Service.
Allegedly  he was involved in a fake shootout in Kashmir . The defense ministry had sought a detailed clearance from intelligence agencies on his eldest daughter-in-law, who was said to be a Pakistani citizen. This had raised fears of “security risks and implications”.
But intelligence agencies rubbished this and in fact informed the defence ministry that the daughter-in-law is a US citizen. She is the daughter of an Afghan and her mother is from a Central Asian country.
As for the March 2001 Kashmir shootout, the mother of an alleged militant killed in a south Kashmir village said her son was a civilian labourer and troops under the command of then Brigadier Bikram Singh had killed him in a staged gun battle.
Kashmir Police gave him a clean chit, even as a petition on the issue is still pending with the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Zaituna, a woman from Kalaroos in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, had filed a petition before the Srinagar High Court claiming that the slain man dubbed as Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mateen Chacha was her son Abdullah Bhat.
As per the Army, a militant disguised as beggar opened indisciminate firing on Bikram Singh and his entourage at Janglat Mandi in Anantnag district town of south Kashmir on March 1, 2001. The troops fired back in self-defence resulting in the death of the assailant who was identified by police as Mateen Chacha, a resident of Pakistan.
One Army officer, an Army jawan and two civilians were also killed in the incident, in which Lt Gen Bikram Singh, who was then commanding 1 sector Rashtriya Rifles in south Kashmir, was injured and flown to Delhi.
A PIL was also filed in the Supreme Court last month challenging the appointment of Lt Gen Bikram Singh as the next Army chief, citing the 2001 fake encounter case among other issues. It was, however, dismissed by the apex court.
Bikram Singh was among the three short-listed senior-most officers – Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Shri Krishna Singh and Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik being the other two – in contention for the top post.
Bikram Singh is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He also attended the US Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania