CRPF jawan sacked for ‘not informing force' about his marriage to Pakistani national, he denies
The Central Reserve Police Force Saturday dismissed a jawan from Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch from service without a formal inquiry for not informing his superior officers about his marriage with a Pakistani national. The jawan, however, has denied the allegation claiming that he had informed the force when his wedding was solemnised last year.
The development comes in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people — mostly tourists but also a local — were shot dead.
In an official order, the Commandant 41st Battalion of the CRPF at Bangrasia, Bhopal – where he is currently posted – said Munir Ahmed was being dismissed 'with immediate effect' after finding that his action was found to be detrimental to 'national security'.
This came days after Ahmed, who was previously serving with the CRPF's 72 Battalion at Shiv Khori in Poonch district, was transferred to the 41st Battalion of the CRPF in March.
In it, the order said that Khan 'being a member of the Force, harbored a Pakistani National in India who was on a short-term visa and also married her which was not intimated to the concerned authorities, which is amounting to grave misconduct'.
Khan had married his cousin Menal Khan on May 24 last year. The order says that since security of the nation has been 'compromised', the Director General of the CRPF 'is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold any enquiry in the manner provided under the rules, the authority competent to impose penalty may consider the circumstances of the case and make such an order thereon as it deems fit'.
'Now therefore, Munir Ahmed of 41 Bn is dismissed from service with immediate effect without inflicting a formal enquiry under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution of India read with Rule 27(CC)(iii) of CRPF Rules-1955,' it added.
Ahmed, however, denied the allegation, claiming he had informed the CRPF Directorate last year of his marriage with Menal Khan, a Pakistani national, and that the latter had acknowledged it in a communication. He also claimed that he had first told the DG of the wedding on December 31, 2022 and had sought an NOC from the organisation.
But he also admitted that his wife's short-term visa had ended earlier this year and the couple was trying to get a long-term one.
In a letter dated April 30, 2024, B.S. Negi, the DIG (Adm) in the CRPF Directorate, informed the Director General CRPF about Ahmed's application. The letter, which The Indian Express has accessed, pointed out that under Rule 21(3) of the Central Civil Service (Conduct) Rules 1964, 'a government servant who has married or marries a person other than of Indian Nationality shall forthwith intimate the fact to the Government'.
'The said employee has under rule informed the department about it,'' the letter said. It also says that under the rule, 'there is no provision for issuance of NOC', adding that the decision must be taken up by the officer in-charge in this case.
No further steps were taken in the case, Ahmed told The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the couple married in May last year after which Menal entered India on a short-term visa. 'I once again informed the 72 Bn about it and submitted her visa copy and her latest photographs as well,' Ahmed said, adding that she in the meantime applied for a Long-Term Visa (LTV).
On March 13 — two days before Menal's short-term visa ended — the couple had an interview with the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) at Jammu, Ahmed claimed, adding that he had informed the force of this.
Also Read | Pahalgam terror attack: Local who opened shop 15 days ago but not on day of incident under NIA scanner
'I had informed my new commandant and deputy commandant at the 41st Battalion about his marriage to a Pakistani national as well as her LTV application. I was also prematurely transferred to Bhopal and had sent an application about this to the Director General CRPF. But before I could get an audience, I was terminated from service,' he claims, adding that he would challenge his dismissal in the high court.
Meanwhile, with her short-term visa now ended, Minal had been issued a 'Leave India' notice in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and was taken to Attari, Ahmed said, adding the deportation was stalled after he moved the Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
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