New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) – The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea concerning suicides among armed forces personnel, stating that the allegations presented were too broad in nature.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran observed that conducting a sweeping inquiry into the issue under Article 32 of the Constitution was beyond the court's scope. It noted that all the petitioners and concerns raised in the plea specifically pertained to Chhattisgarh, making it more appropriate for the jurisdictional high court to address the matter.
"If the petitioners so desire, they may approach the jurisdictional high court for redressal of grievances," the bench remarked.
The plea, filed through advocate Satya Mitra, had prompted the apex court in February 2020 to seek the Centre’s response. However, during Monday’s hearing, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, representing the Centre, contended that the plea contained generalized concerns. He suggested that the petitioners should instead present their grievances directly to the appropriate authorities.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioners, underscored the rising suicide rates among armed forces personnel, urging the Centre to outline preventive measures. He also cited alleged ill-treatment of junior-level personnel, including issues like denial of leave, and insisted that there should be a structured system for redressal.
Despite these arguments, the bench reiterated that the case was too broad for a nationwide probe and maintained that the high court was better suited to handle such grievances.
With the Supreme Court's directive, petitioners seeking intervention on the issue will now have to approach the relevant high court for further action.
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