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SC backs army in sacking Christian officer over gross indiscipline

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sharply criticized a Christian Army officer who was dismissed for refusing to enter a gurdwara during a regimental ceremony, calling him a cantankerous man and a misfit. The Court upheld the Armys decision to remove him for failing to show respect for the faith of the Sikh soldiers under his command, reports said. The Supreme Court described the former Christian army officer Samuel Kamalesan's conduct as incompatible with military discipline. What kind of message has he been sending? He should have been thrown out for this only. This is the grossest kind of indiscipline by an Army official, the court said. Leaders have to lead by example. You are insulting your troops, the court added. According to Bar and Bench , Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan, commissioned in 2017 and posted to a Sikh squadron, faced disciplinary action for refusing to enter the inner sanctum of religious sites during mandatory regimental parades. He argued that his refusal stemmed not only from his commitment to his Christian beliefs but also from a desire to avoid offending the religious sentiments of his troops. The Army, however, maintained that Kamalesan persisted in his refusal even after his commanders and Christian clergy assured him that complying would not violate his religious principles. His conduct, the Army said, threatened unit cohesion and troop morale. He was dismissed from service in 2021. In May, the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal, noting that as a commanding officer Kamalesan bore heightened responsibilities. The Court ruled that the issue was not one of religious liberty but of obeying a lawful order. Kamalesan then approached the Supreme Court, where a Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi on Tuesday questioned whether his refusal did not itself disrespect the religious beliefs of his subordinates. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Kamalesan, said his client refused to enter the innermost sanctum of a temple and was dismissed for a single act of refusal. He maintained that the officer had otherwise participated respectfully in all multi-faith spaces and regimental events. Is this sort of cantankerous conduct permissible in a disciplined force? the CJI asked, adding as to how a troop leader would refuse to accompany his soldiers into a place they considered sacred. Gopal Sankaranarayanan said his client was posted in a place where there was no 'Sarva Dharma Sthal' and only a gurudwara and a temple. Samuel Kamalesan, being a follower of monotheistic faith, refused to enter the sanctorium. He is not a cantankerous man. He is a disciplined man in all other respects, Sankaranarayanan said. If this is the attitude of an Army officer, then what is one to say? the CJI remarked while affirming his termination. What kind of message is he sending? This is gross indiscipline. He should have been terminated. Cantankerous persons like this do not belong in the military, according to NDTV . The Bench added that although Kamalesan may otherwise have been a capable officer, he was a misfit for the Indian Army, especially given the responsibilities placed on the armed forces today. Formerly part of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, Kamalesan had disobeyed a superiors order to enter a temples sanctum sanctorum to conduct a puja, insisting that doing so would violate his monotheistic Christian faith. The Delhi High Court had earlier held that he placed his religion above a lawful command, calling his conduct a breach of essential military ethos. At the Supreme Court hearing, Justice Bagchi also noted that Kamalesan had even disregarded the advice of his own pastor on the matter.

25 Nov 2025 3:49 pm