Gangtok, March 9: The Sikkim High Court has reinstated a constable of the Sashastra Seema Bal whose services were terminated for allegedly hiding information about past criminal cases during recruitment.
The judgment was delivered by Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque while hearing a petition filed by Vikash, a resident of Uttar Pradesh who joined the 36th Battalion of SSB in Gyalshing in March 2024 as a Constable (Washerman).
Authorities had terminated his service in August 2024 claiming he had suppressed details of two earlier criminal cases. However, the court noted that one case registered in 2017 had been found false during police investigation, while the second case from 2020 was a family dispute that ended in compromise and acquittal.
Referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Avtar Singh vs Union of India, the High Court observed that minor offences or trivial cases should not automatically lead to denial of public employment, especially when they do not affect the candidate’s suitability for the post.
Considering the petitioner’s rural and economically weak background, the court held that such a lapse could be condoned and quashed the termination order. However, the court declined to grant back wages for the period after termination.
Quoting writer Oscar Wilde, the court remarked: “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”
Click here For Court Judgment
