IAF personnel cannot sport beard based on religious grounds: SC

15 December, New Delhi

The Supreme Court today ruled that those personnel working in the Indian Air Force (IAF) could not sport a beard based on their religious grounds.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Tirath Singh Thakur, and also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, said, those personnel working in the IAF could not sport a beard based on their religious grounds.

The Apex Court dismissed the pleas filed by two Muslim personnel of IAF who had challenged the dismissal of their pleas by the Delhi High Court.

The bench passed the order after hearing two petitions filed separately by two personnel, Mohammed Zubair and Ansari Aaftab Ahmed, challenging the IAF authorities’ “confidential” order dated February 24, 2003, prohibiting Muslim personnel from sporting a beard.Zubair, in his petition, had contended that the order was in contravention of fundamental rights of the citizen and also a government letter issued through the Ministry of Home on July 18,1990.