The defence ministry has not communicated its decision to Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on a statutory complaint filed by him challenging the appointment of his junior, Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, as the next navy chief, Verma’s lawyer said on Wednesday.

Ankur Chhibber, Verma’s lawyer, said the principal bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal had asked the defence ministry to take a decision on the complaint by May 15. “We have no update from the ministry. The AFT will hear the matter on May 20,” he said. A defence ministry spokesperson refused comment when asked if the government had taken a decision onthe complaint.

Verma moved the AFT on April 25 for the second time after the government named Admiral Singh as the next navy chief in March. The defence ministry was asked to take a decision on Verma’s complaint by May 15.

Verma, who heads the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Port Blair, would have been the senior-most officer in the navy on May 31 when Admiral Sunil Lanba retires. But the government decided against appointing him and opted for Singh, who currently heads the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command. Verma has sought to know the criteria followed and also demanded that Singh’s appointment be quashed.

First Published: May 16, 2019 00:20 IST