The Supreme Court (SC) Thursday agreed to hear a plea in the second week of July against the procedure followed in naming Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag the next Indian Army chief.
An apex court bench headed by Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh directed that the plea of Lt. Gen. Ravi Dastane challenging the appointment of Lt. Gen. Suhag as the head of the Eastern Command, which made him eligible for the army chief's post, be heard next month.
Lt. Gen Suhag will succeed Gen. Bikram Singh as the army chief.
The apex court bench directed that the plea be heard in July after counsel R.K. Anand said that an early hearing was necessary as Lt. Gen. Suhag will assume charge as the army chief Aug 1.
Lt. Gen. Dastane said in his plea that the appointment of Lt. Gen. Suhag should be kept on hold till his appeal was decided.
Lt. Gen. Dastane had moved the apex court in 2013 challenging the Armed Forces Tribunal's ruling declining his challenge to the appointment of Lt. Gen. Suhag as the head of the Eastern Command.