M A I N   N E W S

Army denies Brig died of bleeding
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 25
The Army today denied that the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Brig V.K. Govil, who was hit by the terrorists bullets during the attack on a camp in Tanda on July 22, died due to negligence on the part of the officials present there.

In a statement issued here, the Army said it was no doubt that some other senior officers were injured during the attack and needed to be evacuated, but there had been no negligence on the part of the officials in providing medical assistance to Brigadier Govil.

The statement said, “ While it is true that other Army officers who were injured in the incident needed to be evacuated, this in no way was at the cost of providing immediate medical attention to Brigadier Govil”.

The Army also denied that the guards on duty at the gate of the EME camp ran away as the terrorists started firing.

A newspaper report this morning had said that not only was Brig Govil not given the much-needed medical attention but even the guards on duty ran away from the spot. The report quoted an internal inquiry carried out by the Army.

The report had suggested that Brigadier Govil initially survived the attack but bled to death as personnel at the camp badly mismanaged the crisis.

The report further said that Brigadier Govil did not get priority medical attention as the protocol-obsessed force rushed to take the three Generals at a safer place. While Brigadier Govil suffered serious injuries, the Generals, including commander-in-chief of the Northern Command Lieut-Gen Hari Prasad suffered superficial injuries.

Quoting an internal inquiry report, the newspaper also suggested that there was also a lapse on the part of the sentry in allowing the terrorists, who were in military fatigues, to get inside the camp.

The report said that the terrorists should have been intercepted by the Quarter Guard stationed just beyond the entrance to the camp. Two armed sentries were on duty there, which was mandatory at any given time. The remaining six members of this contingent, the report said, were resting in the vicinity when the attack took place.

In the face of the attack, the Quarter Guard dispersed instead of engaging the terrorists. Quoting an official, the newspaper said that even the 10-member quick reaction team also ran away from the spot.