HC directs Army to reinstate 26,706 personnel

New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the Indian Army to reinstate 26,706 personnel within a month and criticised the Army chief, who sacked them on medical grounds last year, for not abiding by the rules.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M C Garg asked the Army to reinstate the sacked personnel within a month and they should join their respective departments and units at the earliest.

The Court directed to clear the wages and the benefits as per the rules.

The bench criticised the Army Chief for not referring to the army constitution and not forming a board to review the lay-offs.

On April 12, 2007, the Army Chief had ordered the discharge of 26,706 personnel on medical grounds like hypertension.

The court ruling came on a petition by Naib Subedar Vijay Kumar Dubedi through his counsel Siddharth Shankar Ray and Abhik Kumar.

Dubedi had alleged that the army had discharged him and others in violation of the rules and regulations for the medical services of the Armed Forces and they should be reinstated.

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