Not The End Of The Road For BSF Jawan Tej Bahadur, Who Was Sentenced To Be Dismissed

Is it the end of road for Tej Bahadur, who was sentenced by the court-martial to be dismissed from Border Security Force while on the brink of retirement?

If dismissed from service, BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav will forfeit benefits that he earned during his years of service. This includes a post-retirement pension, gratuity, health benefits, ex-servicemen or former government employees quota and reservations (for service or education) for himself as well as his family, said sources.

Besides, Yadav cannot apply for any government service and his original certificates will be marked with red-ink entries to show that he was dismissed from service. This may create problems even if he applies for private employment.

The BSF Act provides certain relief in such cases, though.

“When on active duty, any enrolled person sentenced by a Security Force Court to dismissal or to imprisonment whether combined with dismissal or not, the prescribed officer may direct that such person may be retained to serve in the ranks, and such service shall be reckoned as part of his term of imprisonment if any,” says the Act.

The law also allows an officer of rank deputy inspector general (or above) to set aside the ruling or to reduce the sentence. Yadav can also appeal to senior officers of rank DIG and IG for relief and also to the DG of the BSF.

Once exhausted, Yadav would have to approach civil and service courts to appeal the decision of the summary security force court.

A three-month long disciplinary proceeding led to his dismissal after he complained of being served poor quality food and dal at a remote, ‘sensitive’ post, on Facebook.

The court martial concluded on Tuesday, April 18, and the ruling and sentence were announced today.

In what has been decided as a breach of service rules, Yadav had posted a video on social media criticising the quality of the food served to jawans. He had also accused senior officers of corruption, blaming it for the poor quality rations served to jawans. The said video was made at a ‘sensitive’ post near the Line of Control in Kashmir.