Indian soldier dismissed for complaining of poor food approaches court

A former constable of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), who had shamed the Modi government by sharing the plight of troops serving at the border in an online video, has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking to get his dismissal order revoked. Ex-constable Tej Bahadur, in a video shared on Facebook in January 2017, revealed some bitter truths about the Indian forces, alleging that the higher officials sell off supplies meant for troops, often forcing them to go to bed on empty stomachs. The video had gone viral on social media and prompted an inquiry by BSF authorities. Bahadur filed a petition in the high court on Tuesday, after which the court has issued a notice to the centre, director general of the BSF and others, his counsel S P Yadav said told Indian media outlets. "Since no improvement took place in food quality and quantity, the petitioner and his BSF colleagues decided to make a video proof of such poor quality and quantity of food for showing it to their senior officers," Yadav said. Indian BSF soldier punished with plumber's duty for exposing corruption In a video shared on Facebook, sepoy Tej Bahadur Yadav had alleged higher officials of selling off supplies meant for troops Indian soldier shames Modi govt over deplorable working conditions Tej Bahadur Yadav, a BSF soldier, alleges higher officials of selling off supplies meant for troops, say they are often forced to go to beds hungry Bahadur, in his petition, stated that two charge-sheets were issued against him in February 2017 and the Indian Summary Security Force Court (SSFC) passed an impugned order in April 2017, dismissing him from the BSF. The dismissed soldier, who had also been punished with a plumber's duty following his attempt to expose seniors' corruption, also filed an appeal against the SSFC order, which was rejected by the DG BSF in November last year, the NDTV quoted his counsel as saying. "We just raised a point that petitioner was just demanding food in sufficient quantity. But he was dismissed from service," he said. The court has fixed the next date of hearing on May 28, Yadav said, adding that the former soldier has sought quashing of his dismissal order.