The family of BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav, whose video complaining of poor quality of food being served to the jawans went viral, will soon file a habeas corpus petition as they have no information of his wheareabouts. Speaking to The Indian Express, Yadav’s brother-in-law Vijay said the family is trying to contact him and even wrote two letters to the BSF, but has not got any reply. “Yadav last spoke to his wife and said that the BSF officials are taking him to an unknown location. But couldn’t speak further. We have sent two letters to the DG, but have not got any response so far,” said Vijay.
Lashing out at the BSF for cancelling the Voluntary Retirement Service (VRS) of Yadav, Vijay said, “As if Yadav was from other country, they cancelled his VRS and initiated inquiry against him. They could have ordered the probe after giving him VRS. Our family is very upset.”
Earlier on Monday, Yadav’s wife Sharmila and her brother Ranbir Singh met paramilitary Director General KK Sharma at the Force’s headquarters in the national Capital. Though officials said that Sharma assured the family of a fair inquiry, Vijay said the response of Sharma was not very positive. “After Yadav spoke to his wife yesterday. We again tried to contact the DG, but he didn’t meet us,” said Vijay. Yadavs wife had claimed that her husband had called her and claimed that he was being threatened and harassed and that he has been put under arrest.
Officials in the force had said that as per the laid down procedures under a Court of Inquiry, all witnesses in a case are questioned by the probe team till the investigation is complete. The trooper is also facing charges of indiscipline for uploading the social media post and also on various other counts and hence in such a case the privilege of granting a VRS to an employee is disallowed, they had said.
A video shot by Yadav in which he was complaining about the quality of food, had gone viral last month triggering a flurry of reactions with the PMO also seeking a detailed factual report on it from the Union Home Ministry and BSF.
The ministry had informed PMO that BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of rations at any post and that security the personnel deployed along the borders never complained about food. The border-guarding force had also came out with fresh guidelines for maintaining high quality of food for its personnel after the video went viral.
Yadav, wearing uniform and carrying a rifle in the video, claimed that while the government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers “sell these off” in an “illegal” manner in the market and the personnel have to suffer. He had also posted other videos in which he had claimed that the quality of food served was not good.
