AFT upholds woman cadet's withdrawal from Naval Academy

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, April 29

The Armed Forces Tribunal has upheld the withdrawal of a woman cadet from the Indian Naval Academy for indulging in inappropriate behaviour with a male cadet and other acts of indiscipline while undergoing training.

Inapt behaviour

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The cadet was relegated for having missed outdoor training and for indulging in physical intimacy with a male trainee

Holding the three relegations awarded to her and a show-cause notice for withdrawal to be correct, the tribunal’s Bench comprising Justice Rajendra Menon and Lt Gen PM Hariz said, “The tribunal upholds the policy of the Services to ensure that the correct officer material are inducted into the Service, and those found lacking in their professional competence, character qualities and officer-like qualities are dealt with during the training stage in accordance with the policy in vogue.”

The woman cadet had moved the AFT seeking quashing of the academy’s relegation and withdrawal letter of May 18, 2020, as harsh, discriminatory and arbitrary. She had sought reinstatement in the academy with appropriate punishment of 14 restrictions for mistakes committed by her in view of her otherwise outstanding performance in academics and training.

The tribunal observed that in her first term, the cadet had been relegated by six months for having missed 68 days of outdoor training for medical reasons. In the next term, she was again relegated along with four women cadets for using unfair means during an internal exam.