Delhi High Court upholds removal of BSF officer whose objectionable photos with woman officer went viral on social media
Court highlights disciplinarity and moral expectations for security force members; consents to compulsory retirement without trial
The Delhi High Court recently upheld the compulsory retirement of a Border Security Force (BSF) officer after intimate photographs of him with a woman officer—who was married to another—went viral on social media. A Division Bench of Justices Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla condemned the officer’s extramarital liaison as unacceptable conduct for a member of the security forces.
The Court emphasized that security personnel must adhere to the highest ethical and moral standards in all spheres of life, noting that an officer unable to control impulses cannot be entrusted with the nation’s security. The relationship in question was consensual but involved compromising photographs, which significantly damaged the officer’s credibility and public confidence.
The disciplinary action invoking Rule 20 of the Border Security Force Rules allowed termination without a General Security Force Court (GSFC) trial when such a trial is deemed “inexpedient or impracticable” and the service is “undesirable.” The BSF Director General concluded that continuing the officer’s service was untenable, and the Court refused to interfere with this subjective executive decision.
Advocate Ankur Chhibber appeared for the officer, while Senior Panel Counsel Anshuman and Advocate Vaibhav Sood represented the Union of India.