Title - No escaping territorial army training: HC to motormen

Training for enrollment in the territorial army is to begin in Kota, Rajasthan, on September 24

Bombay High Court (HC) refused relief on Tuesday to a group of Western Railway (WR) motormen who claimed they were being forced to enroll in the territorial army.

This was after R V Desai, counsel for railways, told the court the territorial army condition had been mentioned in the advertisement for the posts of motormen.

Another HC bench had restrained railways on September 13 from relieving the suburban train motormen from present duties, but a division bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and A A Sayed vacated this order on Tuesday.

Training for enrollment in the territorial army is to begin in Kota, Rajasthan, on September 24.

The judges said by attending the training, motormen would “set a good example for youngsters”.

Justice Chandrachud said, “Neither your jobs nor your seniority is affected. What is the illegality?”

J P Cama, counsel for the motormen, claimed his clients had already undergone training once in January. He said the 62 motormen, who had cleared the Railway Recruitment Board exam in 2009, were being targetted because they had gone on strike.

Desai denied the allegation and told HC that all 2,000 people in similar employment would be sent for the training.

The division bench said, “Public interest of the defence of the country must rank above private interest.”

Justice Chandrachud said in a lighter vein, “A little bit of exercise is good for all of us.”

The case will now be heard on October 3.