The Supreme Court today agreed to give early hearing on a plea challenging appointment of Army Vice Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag as the next Army Chief and directed listing of the case in the second week of July.

A Bench headed by Justice Vikramajit Sen advanced the hearing of the case from September to July after it was submitted that Lt Gen Suhag is to take over the charge from August 1 and the controversy over his appointment needed to be settled before that.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Lt Gen Ravi Dastane alleging favouritism in the selection of Lt Gen Suhag as the next Army Chief.

Earlier, the Centre had justified the appointment and had submitted that the alleged lapses which were made as grounds to impose disciplinary ban on the Lt. Gen Suhag by then Army Chief Gen V K Singh between April and May 2012 were premeditated, vague and illegal.