New Delhi: Rhea Verma, the lawyer who has dragged the Modi government to the Armed Forces Tribunal for overlooking her father, Vice-Admiral Bimal Verma, for the post of Indian Navy chief, has allegedly been living at a Naval officers’ mess in the heart of the national capital for more than a decade in violation of rules.
Rhea has been living at the Navy establishment — Kota House — since 2008 along with her sister, sources told ThePrint. However, Rhea told ThePrint that she had moved in only “in 2013″.
Her sister, she said, was staying there before her — first at the women’s hostel and later at the transit house. The sources said Rhea’s sister moved out of the mess last year after she got married.
The Kota House, with its different housing accommodations — women’s hostel, transit house and suites — is meant for officers in transit or for families of officers who get posted out of Delhi.
Of these, the hostel is meant for children of officers studying in the national capital for the duration of their education. The other two accommodations are temporary and usually allowed to be used for a maximum period of three months, the sources said.
However, the family of the Vice-Admiral has been staying at the mess for nearly 11 years.
Vice-Admiral Verma heads the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
“The women’s hostel is only meant for those who are studying and not for someone who is working. The transit accommodation is meant for a limited period as a short-term arrangement,” a Navy officer who didn’t wish to be identified told ThePrint.
“But then rules are bent when senior officers come into play.”
Vice-Admiral Verma did not respond to a text message from ThePrint which asked him to comment on how his daughters have been staying at Kota House for much longer than is allowed. Verma did not respond to a call from ThePrint either.
The Indian Navy also didn’t respond to an emailed questionnaire, including queries about the rules under which the transit house has been allotted for such a period.
ThePrint also reached the Ministry of Defence for comment but there was no response until the time of publishing this report.
This report will be updated when they respond.
Also read: Indian Navy & IAF chiefs get Z-plus security cover amid India-Pakistan tensions
‘Allotted in my mother’s name’
Speaking to ThePrint, Rhea said the transit house has been allotted to her mother and she is staying with her.
“My mother is a GoAir employee and the house is allotted in her name. I am staying with her. A CNC (Flag officer Commanding in Chief) is entitled to retain a house in Delhi. All Army commanders do,” said Rhea.
Asked about the duration of her stay, Rhea said it was her elder sister who first stayed in the women’s hostel and she had moved in only in 2013 into the transit house.
Vice-Admiral Verma was appointed as the CNC in 2016. He has never been posted in the national capital since 2008.
Verma ji auth accommodation at Delhi as he is serving in fd area as well as the rank and post he holding. Nothing wrong in that.
One case against them and all they can do is this? Time to be mature man. Come on!! Even if she HAD BEEN LIVING there, didn’t the authorities know that? Way to be democratic. Period.
This is the price that one has to pay for taking on the government through court/tribunal. Shameful that a half baked story was cooked by ThePrint which clearly shows the malicious intent of the journalist. Very shameful!
Staying in the transit accommodation of services is okay as long as rules are followed. A rank of VAdm and post of C-In-C has abused the power. Now it should be checked that whether the VAdm Verma is staying in Single /Batchlore Officers Accommodation in Port Blair or full fledged bungalow. See, his wife is employee means then it is not Navy’s duty to look after her in Delhi, the Transit Accommodation is only meant for faciliting to the children those are already studying in the Delhi. His both daughters are also working women then how come they are dependent? VAdm clearly fooled the services and abused his rank and post. If other IAS/IPS are indulging in wrong doings is neither the criteria nor parameters to commit a wrong doing. VAdm has already committed illegal and false undertaking by withholding an accommodation at main land and similarly an official accommodation at Port Blair. The C-In-C should have been exemplary.
My friends are saying officers retain their accommodation when posted in field duties, I want to know is this admiral posted in field. Come on he is flag officer and will be holding the largest bungalow in any station he is posted.
Advocate is saying his mother is allotted the accommodation as she is working in Go Sir. She is making money by practising law.
Unimaginable wife gets free house in Delhi and husband the largest bungalow at place of duty.
Mera desh mahaan.
Chor Saath me chatur guys.
The reason is given at the end, that the flag officers can retain an accomodation in delhi, adm verma’s wife is the occupant and the daughter is staying with her. So what is wrong with that? Why is this article giving a misleading headline?
Yeh spoilt brat of the Admiral needs to know that transit accommodation is allotted to serving Officers not to their spouse or children. The arrogance with which she has stated that the transit has been allotted to her mother (a working lady in a high office), is simply pathetic.
Newspaper journalist is Modi bhakt
Wants to defame the senior offr & her daughter.
Journalist
” Jinke Ghar kaach ka hote vo pathar nhi fekte ha ”
Ch***ya phele apna ghar dekh le , chal bh***dka ka Gyaan dena
The matter is not about how is wrong or right. In my opnion we all lack integrity. Thats why. If you are in line to present Govt. All is well. Otherwise no one is prefect and they would exploit ur weakness to the maximum to fulfill their agenda. And we the common people eat the shit what is fed
Of course the article is in bad taste. Probably it is paid media.
People are discovered to be corrupt when they protest against the govt.
Malicious and motivated article! When even opposition ministers can continue to stay endlessly in govt quarters illegally, why can’t a serving officer’s wife stay in the officially allotted transit accommodation?
Was the vice admirals daughter given notice to vacate the wrongful occupation of the Kota house?
His by passing of promotion is on account wrongful use of facility.
Are the services men promoted based on merits of their services or such frivilous issues?
This is what paid and ignorant journalist Write now a days. Why bother putting your name on story let the corrupt perpetrator write and publish this on your newspaper.
The article is malicious. Wherever and whenever adefence forces officer or his family is involved the press comes out with such malicious posts and starts handing out decisions. Rather than getting to the bottom of the story the press quotes often sound as hearsay. The press has never been active in Lutyens Delhi. It would be appreciated that the author do some searching on occupation of bungalows and servant quarters in Lutyens zone.
Why don’t characters like G Suresh themselves join the services, make their children join and thereafter make such stupid comments about Army. Wish he hadded the guts to make such degrading comment against Army and then get away. Shame on such lousy chaps making comments without doing any homework.
Seriously suggest he joins army as a jawan, be postedto to a post in J & K , face enemy and thereafter comment.
Totally wrong reporting by The Print to rake up controversy, Govt employees including those in the armed forces are allowed to retain the govt accomodation at their previous place of posting, if they are posted to Andaman Nicobar Island, Northeastern states and J&K, such an arrangement also exists at Pragati Vihar Hostel Lodhi Road New Delhi were most officers from CPOs have retained the hostel after being posted to these places. Admiral Verma has therefore not violated any rules. We expect responsible journalism not fly by night media to create controversy.
A very sinisterly planted article aimed to misquide the readers and defame the officer and also show him in bad light. The article gives the reason at the fag end. Where was this writer in 2008? Has he done any investigative journalism to investigate rules and allotment of housing to IAS/IPS in Delhi? He picks up this one tidbit and tries sensationalise it a breaking news. The writer’s loyalties and intentions are coloured and are questionable. Editor of The Print must take note and prevent such malucious and tasteless articles, less, he wants to give The Print a very bad name.
As per you both BJP and CONGRES had no problem with Rafael deal. Only The Hindu, The Print, The Wire, NTDV and left and Congress supporting media, journalists has problem.
If your claim is correct, how come you slept over it since 2008 ? Don’t you think this leak is taking place since the Vice Adm has filed a case against his supersession. Can’t you discern that the dirty tricks wing of the govt is at play ?
It would be appreciated if media can be neutral and publish articles after proper research.
If it is found to be illegal then they should be thrown out of the premises.
A half baked piece written in poor taste. I hope the author is also taking stock of all the bungalows in Lootyens, and not merely acting as a stooge.
U r one tmc piece of bengali s#1t….
Everyone knows everything. The entire system is compromised. It has reached a point of no return. Leadership has failed across the spectrum. Power position and money was always the law. Finally… remember” is hamam may sab nangey hai”.
Just because she has broken the rules of the Indian Navy under the very watch and the full knowledge of the Indian Navy itself, she now no longer has the constitutional right to drag the Government of India to Court for a wrong done to her father. A Naval Officer who for his whole professional life served our Nation. Pathetic democracy is what our Nation has turned into all thanks to these leaders
And so since she has broken certain rules of the Indian Navy under the very watch of the Indian Navy itself, she no longer has the moral right or even the constitutional right to fight the Government of India for the wrong done to her father. A person who has dedicated his life for the protection of our nature.
Irony – Defence is known for Discipline n that what is need at such moments.
N she doing case on govt. Is hilarious also her father (not as an officer) must be Speechless.
Of late the persistent demands of ex service men has given an image of them being more mercenary than patriotic. Budget allocation being a zero sum game, what is given to veterans is at the cost of somebody else perhaps more deserving. There are many veterans fraudulently drawing disability pension. There are many more employed elsewhere and still drawing DA though not entitled. These three are just examples of the type of fraud played by those we hold in high esteem, when disciplinary action should have been taken against them. The story is just another extension of prevalent practice in armed forces to which nobody wants to draw attention, blinded by a false sense of patriotism. And frankly, India gives it’s veterens the best facility in the whole world and we pay dearly for it.
Dear Mr. Gupta,
Your reporter Alex Philip may be needs to be sent back for some classes.
The least your Reporter could have done was to check on the Accommodation Rules available on the Website or consulted any of the DANIC Services Officers who rotate between Delhi and the Andaman & Nicobar.
Your reporter has jumped to conclusions without verifying the facts and has failed to bring out How a victimised Officer and Family have coped up with the Turbulent times they have been forced to undergo. For Admiral Verma the Appointment as CinC Andaman is the longest tenure in the same Appointment in his Career and no other CinC in all the three Services has been isolated in this manner. Forget the Navy where the tenure is restricted to 2/3 years in Andaman and Nicobar for even bachelor Officers and Sailors.
The Article is in poor taste and the author doesn’t seem to know the basics of Journalism.
You don’t start publishing stories whose status needs to be updated. It is not a developing story but something published to Divert Attention.
Half of the Delhi Cantonment consists of Separated Accommodation for Officers who are posted in Field. Even all the Civil Officers appointed in Andaman and Nicobar are permitted to retain accommodation or shift the families to the place of their choice.
Articles of this nature destroy the complete reputation of Media.
These are not expected reporting standards. One must establish the facts before printing & not to go just by hearsay.
Would the Reporter like to publish stories about all the Children in Lutyens Delhi including Priyanka and Robert Vadra?
शीशे के घर में रहने वाले दूसरों के घर पर पत्थर नही मारा करते। मैडम ने अगर अपना होम वर्क ढंग से कर लिया होता, तो पिता प्रेम के चक्कर में मोदीजी के घेरे में नही आना पड़ता। अब खुद की वकालत में ही ज़िन्दगी काट जाएगी।
HUT TERE KI ME YEHI LIKHNE JA RAHI THO. BUT THOUGHT LET ME READ COMMENTS FIRST. ” CHINOY SAAB JO SHI SHO KE GHAR ME REHTE HAI VOH DUSRO KE GHARO PE PATHHAR FEKA NAHI KARTE.”.
Of course Navy should manage it the way they want.
IAS always try to find out loopholes in forces system. Their interference will always be there as with political influence they will keep to squeeze the power of Armed Forces but let me tell you this will keep going till the time they are safe in the hands of our defence.
Congress culture has corrupted everyone. No wonder so many retired civil servants, defence personnel, artists, academicians etc regularly write open letters denouncing the NDA and rooting for the Congress, which are then given undue publicity by the media. They miss all the crumbs of privilege that Congress used to throw at them.
Investigate the HRA claims of this Admiral, his wife and his daughters. You are sure to find some gaphla there too. Pests on the system.
Congress coming back to power, those corrupted politicians still dreaming, let them face the charges in court, many should be jailed
Sneheshis Alex Philip, looks like you are a stooge, putting up this deliberate Misinformation on behest of pissed BJP morons & useless nincampoop IAS Babus. This is purely an Indian Navy management and it is up to them how they manage it. This facility is open to all unmarried daughters of Indian Navy officer, not just one admiral. And they pay for it, not like you who want everything for free.
By this logic, how did Manohar Parrikar & Jaitley stay at Kota house, they are not even defence personal; they just used their political clout to stay there.
Will you expose them as well?
A diversionary tactic from the main issue, Verna’s supercesion at which the present dispensation is good.
Another UPA era privileged officer…. Even Forces have been contaminated by scamster Khongress….
Pure khakhi Chaddi Andhbhaktu who fought on borders on behalf of Indian Army .