Supreme Court directs army to reinstate 11 women officers

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the army to reinstate 11 short service commission women officers who had been released after 14 years of service. The apex court asked the government to start the recruitment from September 12 continuing their service from the date they joined.
A bench of Justices J M Panchal and H L Gokhale said the order reinstating would be subject to the outcome of the appeal filed by the army against the March 12, 2010 judgment of the Delhi High Court. The High Court had earlier directed to grant permanent commission to 11 serving women officers, who had filed a petition.
The apex court also made it clear that this oorder of reinstating is applicable only to the 11 women officers who had approached the High Court earlier and said the army would reinstate them in terns of the High Court order. It said that the High Ccourt order will be in operation as it was not stayed when the army had challenged it.
 The High Court had granted the army two months time to implement its judgment. The court later issued notice of contempt of court after it failed to comply with the order within the requisite time limit. The operation of the contempt notice was stayed by the apex court. During the hearing, the army opposed reinstatement of the woman officers in terms of the High Court judgment, but the apex court did not agree and held that the High court should be allowed to operate.
The bench said during the hearing that the High court shall continue with its judgment. There should not be any stay in the High Court judgment. And also added that the 11 woman officers were entitled to take the benefits of the High Court order.
The bench observed that in order to see that the high offices in military did not face any inconvenience and the contempt proceedings has to be stayed.
The court also noted that the 11 women officers were on the administrative side of the army.
News Reported by AR for Newsvision

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