Overview
- A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed Lt. Samuel Kamalesan’s plea, terming his conduct “the grossest kind of indiscipline” and declaring him a “misfit” for the Army.
- The officer, commissioned in 2017 with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, refused to enter the sanctum at the regiment’s temple and gurdwara during weekly parades, citing his Protestant Christian beliefs.
- The judges noted he ignored counselling, including a pastor’s advice that entry would not violate Christian tenets, and emphasized that commanders must lead by example.
- Relying on Article 25’s focus on essential religious practices and Article 33’s allowance for curtailing rights to preserve force discipline, the court prioritized unit cohesion and morale.
- Affirming a 2021 dismissal already upheld by the Delhi High Court in May, the Supreme Court also declined to reduce the penalty on proportionality grounds.