FSL report awaited in defence official’s death case

Three days since the mysterious deaths of Defence Ministry official Kumar Yashkar Sinha and his wife Archana Sharma, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is expected to handover its crucial report to Delhi Police on Monday.

The FSL report is expected to throw new light on the mysterious death of the 42-year-old Deputy Director at the Ministry's Directorate General of Medical Services and his 34-year-old wife, who was a trained classical dancer.

The two were found dead in their official flat in Hudco Place in Defence Colony on Friday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police PS Kushwah told reporters that they were "waiting for the FSL report on the evidence collected from the spot" where the bodies were found.

According to Pushkar Sinha, brother of slain defence ministry official, Yashkar went to meet him in Lucknow last week and discussed the enormous work pressure on him.

He even met his sister a day before his death.

On Saturday, Delhi Police found a hand-written note wrapped in a 'green envelope' in Sinha’s home during investigation in which he had mentioned the names of two Army officers who were allegedly 'behind the work pressure'.

According to the sources, the two suspected officials of Defence Ministry can be summoned for questioning.

So far, the relatives of Yashkar have maintained that the couple was happily married and they enjoyed healthy relationship. So, marital discord cannot be ruled out.

The relatives of the deceased couple alleged that there could be a conspiracy behind the deaths.

Delhi Police on Sunday questioned an official of ADG rank in defence ministry to get more details on the content of the 'note' that is very crucial to crack the case of mysterious deaths.

The initial reports suggested that Yashkar first strangulated his wife and then immolated himself. But, the recently found note indicates something fishy in the case.

The couple was married for seven years and had no children.

The incident was reported to police by neighbours when they saw smoke coming out from the couple’s flat.

Army Chief VK Singh warns PM, states country’s security might be at risk

 Amidst the raging row over bribery allegations, Army Chief General VK Singh is reported to have written a letter to the Prime Minister, stating the country’s security might be at risk owing to the fact that tanks are running out of ammunition, air defence is going obsolete and the infantry is operating without critical weapons.

According to DNA, Gen Singh wrote the letter to PM Manmohan Singh on March 12, two weeks before making an explosive revelation that he was offered Rs 14 crore bribe to clear a defence purchase.

Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju has confirmed that the government has indeed received the letter from the Army Chief and are taking it seriously.

The minister added that steps are being taken to overcome the shortcomings in armed forces' preparedness.

"There is obviously a gap in the capabilities. We are trying to bridge that gap," the minister told reporters.

In the letter, the Army Chief – who also had a recent run-in with the government over his date of birth controversy – asked the PM to “pass suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the Army”.

Gen Singh wrote to the PMO after he failed to get a response from the Defence Ministry. It is no secret that following the row with South Block —which houses the Defence Ministry — over his birth date, the Army Chief has had to face a bureaucracy that seems reluctant to process files.

Also, experts and observers have criticised the Manmohan Singh-led government, which first came to power in May 2004 and then won a re-election in 2009, for not having made any big ticket defence purchases.

“The state of the major (fighting) arms i.e. Mechanised Forces, Artillery, Air Defence, Infantry and Special Forces, as well as the Engineers and Signals, is indeed alarming,” Gen Singh wrote in his letter, as per DNA.

In his letter, the Army Chief stated that while there is lack of critical ammunition for the entire tank fleet, the country’s air defence is “97% obsolete and it doesn't give the deemed confidence to protect…from the air”.

Also, the infantry is crippled with “deficiencies of crew served weapon” and lacks “night fighting” capabilities. Elite Special Forces, on the other hand, are “woefully short” of “essential weapons”.

Lamenting the complex and slow defence procurement procedures, Gen Singh said that there was “hollowness” in the present system.

He also hit out at indigenous ordnance factories, saying they produce weapon systems and other fighting material of poor quality with no sense of urgency.

Stating the shortcomings were severely eroding the Army's preparedness, he stressed on the need to “urgently mitigate” these “critical deficiencies” that are “impacting the operational capability” of a 1.3million-strong Army.