SC rejects petition of Muslim headcount in Army

New Delhi, Mar 06: The Supreme Court today (Mar 06, 2006) dismissed as withdrawn a writ petition filed by former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen R S Kadyan, seeking directions to the Centre not to go ahead with the headcount of the Muslims in Indian armed forces.

A Bench, comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Mr Justice C K Thakker and Mr Justice R V Raveendran, permitted the petitioner to withdraw his petition in view of the categorical statement made by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament last week that the government would not conduct any such survey or head count in Indian armed forces.

The petitioner had challenged the direction of Justice Sachar Committee directing the Centre to carry out the head count of Muslims in the Indian army on the grounds that such a survey would devide the secular Indian armed forces along communal lines which would prove to be counter-productive.

UNI