New Delhi: A startling video has emerged involving a showdown between a senior Army officer and a civilian Ministry of Defence (MoD) official over fencing of the Line of Control (LOC) in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the video that has gone viral on social media, Triyam Singh, the Assistant Defence Estate Officer (ADEO), is seen physically manhandling Col Ankush Chaudhary of the Engineer Regiment after a heated verbal interaction. The colonel is in uniform.
Singh and other civilian staff of the office continue to misbehave with the colonel and another officer in uniform, till some Sikh soldiers – probably accompanying the two officers – arrive and drag Singh away.
According to sources, Singh was to sign on some documents that were necessary to start work on the fencing. As the ADEO was sitting on the matter, Col Chaudhary decided to visit his office personally to speed up the process. An argument seems to have ensued with Singh making adverse comments about the role of the Colonel’s unit during Operation Sindoor. He then physically pushed away the man in uniform.
The video is of June 12 and was shared by Army veteran Lt Col Sushil Singh Sheoran, who accused the Defence Estate Office of corruption and stalling important projects for bribes.
Colonel Ankush Chaudhary, the commanding officer of the Engineer Regiment, was tasked with proposing the construction of fencing along the Line of Control (LOC) to prevent infiltration, especially in light of the recent attack in Pahalgam. However, the Assistant Defence Estate… pic.twitter.com/YCR62a9Cqd
— Lt Col Sushil Singh Sheoran, Veteran (@SushilS27538625) June 14, 2025
“Colonel Ankush Chaudhary, the commanding officer of the Engineer Regiment, was tasked with proposing the construction of fencing along the Line of Control (LOC) to prevent infiltration, especially in light of the recent attack in Pahalgam. However, the Assistant Defence Estate Officer (ADEO) was refusing to sign the board proceedings necessary for the project,” Lt Col Singh (Retd) posted.
“As the presiding officer, Colonel Chaudhary went to the ADEO’s office personally to address the situation. Unfortunately, ADEO Triyam Singh not only refused to cooperate but also misbehaved with the commanding officer, even going so far as to assault Colonel Chaudhary,” he claimed.
“In response, the valiant Sikh soldiers of the Engineer Regiment retaliated, giving Singh a taste of his own medicine. The Defence Estate Office (DEO) within the Ministry of Defence is known for its corruption and often tries to stall projects in exchange for bribes,” Lt Col Singh (Retd) added.
While the ADEO has accused Col Chaudhary and his men of verbal abuse and assault, netizens, including retired soldiers have supported the retaliatory action by the Sikh troops.
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd), former deputy chief of Integrated Defence Staff, posted on X: “For the soldiers, CO (commanding officer) is next only to God. Touching a CO has consequences. A CO has the responsibility to protect his jawans and he will lay down his life doing so and vice versa for the jawans.”
