The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of a Christian Army officer who was removed from service in 2021 for refusing to step inside the sanctum sanctorum of his regiment&rsquo;s Mandir and Gurdwara during weekly religious parades.
A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court order that had affirmed the Army&rsquo;s decision. The Court held that Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan&rsquo;s refusal amounted to disobedience of lawful commands and weakened unit cohesion, a core requirement in military functioning.
The Court noted that Kamalesan repeatedly declined to enter the inner sanctum despite counselling from superiors and even advice from a local pastor. Expressing disapproval, the CJI remarked, &ldquo;If this is the attitude of an Army officer, then what to say,&rdquo; while rejecting the petition.
Posted in a Sikh squadron, Kamalesan had argued that entering the sanctum would violate the First Commandment, asserting that he attended the parades but remained outside the innermost area to respect both his own faith and that of his troops. The Army countered that the matter was one of discipline and leadership, not personal belief.
The Delhi High Court had earlier ruled that members of the Armed Forces must place &ldquo;nation before self, and certainly nation before religion,&rdquo; especially those holding command roles who are required to maintain morale and unity within their units. The High Court had held that Kamalesan put his personal faith above a lawful order.
The Supreme Court further questioned whether the officer&rsquo;s refusal undermined the sentiments of his own soldiers, asking whether such conduct did not amount to disrespecting their beliefs. The Bench also observed that Article 25 protects essential religious practices, not individual interpretations of faith.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Kamalesan, argued that the officer was being excessively punished for a single refusal. He submitted that Kamalesan had previously participated in multi-faith ceremonies elsewhere and was otherwise disciplined. However, the Court highlighted that even a pastor had confirmed that entering a regimental place of worship did not violate Christian doctrine.
&ldquo;You cannot enforce a personal interpretation of religion while in uniform,&rdquo; the CJI stated, calling the conduct &ldquo;the grossest form of indiscipline.&rdquo;
The officer&rsquo;s request to reduce the penalty was also denied, with the Court noting that the Indian Army is known for its secular ethos and requires strict discipline. &ldquo;When you fail to respect the sentiments of your own soldiers, you fail in leadership,&rdquo; the Bench said.
Dismissing the appeal, the Supreme Court said the decision should &ldquo;send a strong message.&rdquo; [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

SC Upholds Dismissal of Christian Army Officer

Supreme Court rules that refusing to enter regimental Mandir

SC Upholds Dismissal of Christian Army Officer

Supreme Court rules that refusing to enter regimental Mandir

November 25, 2025 | 20:28 IST