Constable Tej Bahadur Yadav dismissed from BSF

BSF on Wednesday dismissed Constable Tej Bahadur Yadav, whose video post on poor food being served to security personnel deployed on Line of Control (LoC) went viral, citing gross indiscipline.

The action against Yadav came after a Court of Inquiry (CoI) found Yadav guilty of violation of service rules by taking his grievances to public domain rather than raising it with his superior officers.

“BSF court has found him guilty on certain charges of indiscipline. He has been dismissed from service today, following provisions of BSF Act and rules. Individuals have options to appeal against the verdict in three months,” a senior BSF official told DH.

The Constable had earlier applied for voluntary retirement but the force had recalled the order it on the ground that a Court of Inquiry on his claims and disciplinary proceedings against him was pending. Yadav's family had alleged that he was being "threatened and tortured mentally" and was under arrest.

The video posted on Facebook in early-January by Yadav detailing about the poor quality of food had went viral, prompting the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to intervene.

Soon after the video went viral, the BSF had pointed fingers at Yadav, saying he was an "alcoholic" and court-martialled. The BSF also said that he was allowed to continue in service after the force thought about his family.

The BSF was of the view that there was no shortage of rations at any post and that security personnel deployed along the borders never complained about food. It also issued fresh guidelines for maintaining high quality of food for its personnel.

The force also directed its special snoop teams to check on the morale of the personnel and said said instances of complaints being voiced via the social media were being dealt with "strictly".

Around half-a-dozen such videos emerged soon after Yadav's post complaining about various grievances. A CRPF personnel came out with a video post addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding parity on facilities with military.

The posts of military personnel also came to fore protesting against the 'sahayak' system and it prompted Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat to issue a stern warning not to use social media for grievance redressal.