India, Aug. 27 -- Days before his abrupt ouster on April 2, General Randy George faced intense pressure to bury an administrative review examining whether safety regulations were breached during a March 28 incident. According to sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, General Chris LaNeve, then serving as the Army's second-in-command and now vying for the service's top position, conveyed to General George that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted the inquiry scuttled immediately.

People familiar with the matter stated that General George was deeply troubled by the encounter, feeling that adherence to standard protocols and military regulations was being sidelined for political expedience.

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