“Court can’t interfere in such administrative tasks,” Delhi HC rejects a plea of CRPF personnel that seeks UN deployment
The Delhi High Court has recently rejected the plea of 93 CRPF personnel seeking direction to the Force to deploy them in the upcoming United Nations (UN) Mission.
The Division Bench of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Justice Amit Bansal noted that it is not for the Court to interfere in such administrative tasks as empanelment for UN Missions.
The Bench further stated that, “the CRPF personnel, merely by being empanelled, did not acquire any right to be posted at UN Mission, whensoever and wheresoever.
The present petition has been filed by 93 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who have challenged the impugned notices dated 11th June, 2021 and 16th June, 2021 which invited applications for deployment in the upcoming United Nations (UN) Mission in July, 2021. The petitioners also sought mandamus, directing the respondents CRPF to deploy the petitioners in the upcoming UN Mission in July, 2021.
The petitioners contended that pursuant to similar notices issued by the CRPF in 2016, they had applied and participated in the selection process comprising of written examination, physical standards, physical efficiency and medical tests and were selected.
The counsel for the petitioners stated that, “since the petitioners last underwent training, as recently as in the year 2019, it cannot be said that the petitioners, merely for the reason of having been selected way back in the year 2016, are not fit to be deployed. It is also contended that the petitioners are still within the prescribed age limits and none of the petitioners have become overage for deployment. It is again emphasised that the petitioners, having opted for such empanelment have been deprived of other benefits which would have accrued to them in the last five years.”
Taking into account the factual matrix of the present case the Bench observed that,
“if the petitioners still meet the requirements set out in the impugned notices dated 11th June, 2021 and 16th June, 2021 for empanelment, the petitioners are required to compete with the fresh applicants and if selected, would again be empanelled. Else, it is not for this Court to interfere in such administrative tasks as empanelment for UN Missions.”
The Bench declined the plea but found that, there was “some merit” within the argument that the petitioners, owing to be so empanelled, had missed out on different alternatives.
“All we can say is, that the respondents CRPF may consider the said aspect, either while selecting the personnel pursuant to the notices dated June 11, 2021 and June 16, 2021 or if indeed find the petitioners to have lost out, consider how the petitioners can be compensated therefore,” noted the Bench.
[Case Title - HC/GD KARTAR SINGH AND ORS v UOI]