New Delhi: Expelled Border Security Force (BSF) trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav will move the High Court to challenge his expulsion. The terminated jawan alleged injustice, claiming that the probe carried out against him was conducted in a biased manner. “I will approach High Court to get justice.
I stand by the charges which I made against the officials. Hope I get justice, I have full faith in judiciary. This is what happens when you say the truth. It has been happening for years,” Bahadur said, hours after his expulsion order was made public.
Tej Bahadur, who has served for nearly 20 years in the armed forces, came into spotlight earlier in the year after he alleged “sub-standard” food being served to jawans posted at the borders. Bahadur recorded a video of the meal being served to his fellow jawans, claiming that the “dal served to him was plain water mixed with haldi (turmeric)”. He further accused “higher officials” of siphoning away the ration allotted by Centre for serving food to jawans.
After Yadav’s allegations created a storm over the social media, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) took cognizance of the matter, asking the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to submit a detailed report. Subsequently, an inquiry was ordered by the armed forces.
After months of probe, the Staff Court of Inquiry (SCoI) report submitted in the past week, concluded that Bahadur’s accusations were baseless.
Bahadur was charged with violating the disciplinary code of conduct by making defamatory accusation against the BSF officials. “The action of dismissal of the jawan has been taken under the Border Security Force Act that is applicable to all the personnel serving in the paramilitary force,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by media.
Bahadur is accused by the BSF of being a habitual offender. The constable-jawan, hailing from Haryana, was earlier court martialled in 2010 for gross indiscipline. He was accused of pointing gun at his senior, and also being under the influence of alcohol. However, he was later pardoned on humanitarian grounds, the BSF claims.
