Decide PIL against private sale of army apparel,gear: HC to Centre

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to take a decision within three months on a PIL alleging that private sale and manufacture of combat apparel was a threat to national security as terrorists posing as security personnel have launched attacks in India, including at the Pathankot Air Force base.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to treat the petition as a representation and to take a decision on it.

With the direction the court disposed of the plea by an NGO, Fight for Human Rights, which had sought steps to curb private sale and manufacture of combat apparel, like uniforms, shoes, badges and other gear used by armed forces which were being made by private industries in Ludhiana and Amritsar in Punjab and sold all over the country.

One place where such articles are sold is at the Railway Market at Pathankot, the NGO had claimed in its plea.

In January this year, the Air Force base in Pathankot was attacked by terrorists wearing Indian Army fatigues, leading to the death of several security personnel.

The NGO has said that as per a January 8 guideline issued by Indian Army, civilians and private shopkeepers have been directed not to wear or sell combat apparel.

It had sought directions to MoD to take "immediate and concrete" steps "to prevent private enterprises, shops, individuals etc from unauthorisedly manufacturing, stocking and selling of combat uniforms, backpacks, sleeping bags, badges, shoes etc used by armed forces in India".

The PIL had also said that MoD be directed to handle with immediate effect the responsibility of manufacturing, stocking and sale of combat apparel and gear used by the armed forces, saying private shops do not check to whom they sell such articles.