No reinstatement of rebellious CRPF Sepoy: HC

Delhi High Court has rejected the plea of a dismissed CRPF personnel for reinstatement, saying he was an "active member" of an agitating mob raising "abusive anti-government slogans" in 1979 and their rebellion was of such a magnitude that Army was requisitioned to control them.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sunil Gaur was dealing with the case connected with the 1979 revolt against the government by a section of the force.

"There were sufficient reasons for dispensing with the enquiry when the rebellion was of such a large magnitude that the Army had to be requisitioned to contain the unruly mob that was extending threats, criminal intimidation and bodily harm to loyal members of the force," the bench said.

The court noted that there was a confrontation between the agitating mob and the Army in which three persons were killed and eight others were injured.

The court dismissed the plea of Kumar Pal Singh, who was a Sepoy in CRPF, saying the concerned authorities were justified in adopting a common procedure by dispensing with departmental enquiry and dismissing the petitioner and other delinquent members of the force outrightly.

Detailing the facts in its verdict, the court noted that on June 22, 1979 at about 11.30 p.m., around 1,700 members of the force had held an illegal meeting in CRPF Camp at Jharoda Kalan here and took out an unauthorised procession.

In the meeting, they decided to abstain from work and paralyse normal functioning of the Group Centre by systematic disobedience of orders and non-performance of various lawful duties assigned to them.

On June 23, 1979, the revolting members of the force also abstained from discharging their normal duties despite orders directing them to report and subsequently, a mob went to the main entrance of the Group Centre and raised "abusive anti- government slogans".

The court noted that the mob had then indulged in physical violence against loyal members of CRPF and caused injuries to them.

On June 25, pursuant to the decision of higher authorities, Army units accompanied by a magistrate reached the Group Centre in the early hours. After the agitators refused to hand over their weapons or disperse, and confronted the Army by opening fire, the Army resorted to use of force and forced the mob to surrender their arms and ammunition.