Discipline hallmark of armed forces: Supreme Court

New Delhi, July 30

Noting that discipline is a hallmark of the armed forces and a non-negotiable condition of service, the Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of an Army driver who overstayed the leave granted to him.

“Such gross indiscipline on the part of the appellant, who was a member of the armed forces, cannot be countenanced. He remained out of line far too often for seeking condonation of his absence, this time, for a prolonged period of 108 days which, if accepted, would have sent a wrong signal to others in service,” a Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Rajesh Bindal said. “One must be mindful of the fact that discipline is the implicit hallmark of the armed forces and a non-negotiable condition of service,” it said, adding he didn’t deserve leniency as he was a habitual offender. The top court dismissed former sepoy Madan Prasad’s appeal against the February 16, 2015, order of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Lucknow, upholding his dismissal for overstaying the leave granted to him without sufficient reasons. “We do not find any infirmity in the impugned judgment passed by the AFT. The appellant had been taking too many liberties during his service and despite several punishments awarded to him earlier, he did not mend his ways,” it said.