An officer who refuses to enter a temple sanctum must be dismissed : Supreme Court

Supreme Court verdict on the petition challenging dismissal of a Christian Army Officer !

New Delhi – The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of Army officer Lt. Samuel Kamalesan, who refused to enter the sanctum sanctorum of a temple, stating that the Army as an institution is secular, and discipline cannot be compromised. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had also rejected his petition.

Arguing before the Supreme Court, Kamalesan stated that forcing him to enter a temple violated his right to religious freedom. Responding to this, the court remarked: “The conduct of the officer amounts to disobeying a lawful order. What message does such behaviour convey ? He must be removed for this breach. This is a serious act of indiscipline by an Army officer.”

Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing on behalf of the officer, argued that most regimental headquarters have multi-faith prayer facilities; however, at Mamun Cantonment in Punjab, there were only two religious spaces — a temple and a gurudwara. The officer refused to enter the temple’s inner sanctum because doing so violated his faith. He had stated that: “I will offer flowers from outside, but I will not go inside.”

No one else found this objectionable, the counsel said, but a senior officer initiated disciplinary action against him.

What is the Case ?

Lt. Samuel Kamalesan was commissioned into the Indian Army in 2017 and posted to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, a unit predominantly comprising Sikh soldiers.

As part of regimental tradition, a weekly religious parade was conducted, and soldiers were required to enter either the temple or the gurudwara and participate in prayers.

Kamalesan refused to enter the inner sanctum of the temple due to his religious beliefs. He stated that he could not participate in rituals such as puja, aarti, or havan because he followed Christianity.