Monday, March 6 2006 12:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen R S Kadiyan today(Mar 6,2006) withdrew his petition seeking an immediate halt to Muslim head count in defence forces in view of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement that Rajender Sachchar Committee will not go ahead with it.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal asked Kadiyan's counsel to withdraw the petition as the Defence Minister has already made a statement that the committee will not go ahead with the Muslim headcount in the defence forces. Following this, Rajiv Datta, who represented Kadiyan, withdrew the petition. While dismissing Kadiyan's petition as withdrwan, the court gave him the liberty to approach it again in case there is a need.

"We have already heard the petitioner in person. So there is no need to hear you (the counsel) as the concerned minister has already made a statement that the headcount has stopped," the Court said.