Overview
- A division bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Vimal Kumar Yadav affirmed the CISF penalty in a judgment dated September 22, later posted online on October 14.
- The punishment maintains a two‑year reduction in pay with no increments during that period, followed by a postponement of future increments, which the bench said left the officer “very lightly.”
- The inquiry found the officer guilty of harassing a female colleague through vulgar WhatsApp messages and repeated calls, with the complaint also alleging a visit to her residence in an inebriated state and inappropriate touching.
- The revisional authority had rejected the officer’s challenge as vague and unsupported, and the High Court said principles of natural justice were observed throughout.
- Reprimanding the conduct as unbecoming of a uniformed officer, the bench noted the petitioner’s marital status and reiterated that such messaging-based harassment is actionable under service discipline.