Sri Lanka's former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, who led the Sri Lankan Army against the war with the LTTE, in his letter seeking voluntary retirement, has claimed that unfounded fears of impending coup had led President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ignore him and had instead asked India to put its troop on alert for possible intervention.<br/>Fonseka reportedly in the letter said, the Sri Lankan Government had asked neighbouring India on October 15 to place its troops on alert to be deployed on the island, in the event of a coup.<br/>In his letter seeking retirement, General Fonseka says that although the war was won because of his vision, command and leadership, he was sidelined to a more ceremonial position of Chief of Defence Staff within weeks of the historic victory achieved against the LTTE.<br/>Considered a war hero in Sri Lanka for leading the army to a complete victory against the Tamil Tiger regels after almost three decades, Fonseka has decided to relinquish his post as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) by submitting a letter yesterday seeking voluntary retirement.<br/>Secretary to the Sri Lankan President Lalith Weerathunga has said that General Sarath Fonseka has been granted permission to retire with immediate effect.<br/> <br/>