Srinagar: Police being a disciplined force cannot afford to tolerate an officer or official who shall be a source of total indiscipline, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said while dismissing a petition by a cop seeking reinstatement, 10-years after his ouster for unauthorized absence from duty.
“Even indiscipline has its own limits,” a single bench of Justice Mohammad Yaqoom Mir said while dismissing a petition filed in 2011 by one Bashir Ahmad Bhat, seeking quashment of the order of discharge from service on 19 November 2001. Bhat
Working as Selection Grade Constable, Bhat, according to the police, had been a habitual absentee, and was awarded seven major and four minor punishments for his unauthorized absence and overstayal from leave.
“The petitioner (Bhat) has not reformed himself despite opportunities having been given to him. Firstly, in the year 1997, he had been discharge from service in view of his unauthorized absence and overstayal from leave but later on has been reinstated. That occasion was an enough warning to the (him) to reform himself so as to become a good police official but he has repeated his approach of absenteeism from time to time forcing the authorities to initiate three enquiries for different spells of absence. He has not been able to project any plausible cause for the period of absence which in turn would suggest that perhaps he was not interested in working in the Police Department,” the court observed.
The authorities, the court observed, have been kind enough to him from time to time but he has not responded in an appropriate manner instead has chosen to repeat the approach of absenteeism, forcing the authorities to discharge him from service.
“The approach of (Bhat) by no means appears to be befitting to the disciplined force. Such type of casual approach by no means could be accepted by the authorities,” the court added.
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