The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday told the Delhi High Court that the BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, who posted a video alleging that poor quality food was served to them, was nor under arrest nor missing but has been shifted to another battalion in Samba sector. The court has also allowed Yadav’s wife to meet him over the weekend in Samba (Jammu and Kashmir).
Yadav’s wife Sharmila has claimed that she had been unable to contact her husband for last three days and the Border Security Force has not responded to her letters seeking to know his whereabouts.
The family had claimed that they have sent two letters to the BSF Director General to know where Yadav is, but haven’t heard from them.
The High Court passed the order after the Union Home Ministry and BSF apprised it that the jawan has not been arrested but, instead, shifted to other battalion in Samba. The court also set February 15 as the date for next hearing in the case.
BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav had on January 9 posted a video on Facebook which showed a meal box comprising a watery soup-like dal, which he said had only turmeric and salt and a burnt chapatti.
He had said this is what jawans were served at mealtime on duty at places including the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and that jawans often went to bed on empty stomach.
Advocate Manish Tewari, appearing for the jawan’s wife, submitted that the soldier whereabouts are not known for last few days, so the court should look into the issue.
A PIL was also filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the government to depute higher officers to supervise cooking of proper healthy food and its distribution.
It sought a status report regarding the quality of food served to soldiers along the LoC.
The high court had issued notice on the petition to various paramilitary forces, including the Border Security Force (BSF), seeking their stand on the allegation of poor quality food being served to the troops.
