Chennai: The Madras High Court ruled that Muslim policemen in Tamil Nadu can maintain trimmed and tidy beards while on duty. The decision came after Constable G Abdul Khadar Ibrahim was punished for wearing a beard following his pilgrimage to Mecca. Justice L Victoria Gowri issued the ruling on July 5, emphasizing India’s diversity of beliefs and cultures.
Ibrahim’s counsel referenced the Madras Police Gazette of 1957, which permits Muslim officials to have beards. The court agreed, stating that Muslim policemen cannot be punished for keeping beards as part of their religious practice.
Ibrahim had taken a 31-day leave in 2018 for his pilgrimage and sought an extension due to a leg infection. His request was denied, and he was later charged for not returning on time and for having a beard. The deputy commissioner of police initially stopped his pay increments for three years, later reduced to two years by the city police chief.
Challenging this in the High Court, the court found the punishment “shockingly disproportionate” and quashed the June 2021 order. It remanded the matter back to the commissioner and directed the officer to pass appropriate orders according to the law.
The judgment underscored that enforcing discipline should not come at the cost of infringing on constitutionally protected religious freedoms. The court’s decision reinforced the principle that minority communities should not be penalized for practices integral to their faith, especially when such practices are acknowledged and permitted by existing regulations.
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