Overlooked for top job, Vice Admiral moves tribunal

New Delhi: Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice Admiral Vimal Verma has approached an armed forces tribunal seeking to know why he was overlooked as the next navy chief despite being the senior-most in the line of command, official sources said Monday.

The government last month named Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as next chief of the naval staff, succeeding Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30.

The government made the selection following a merit-based approach and did not go with the tradition of appointing the senior-most eligible officer to the post. Vice Admiral Verma is senior to Singh and was among the contenders for the top post.

Sources said Vice Admiral Verma had approached an armed forces tribunal in the national capital to know why the government ignored his seniority.

His petition is likely to be taken up Tuesday, they said