The Telangana High Court has upheld the termination of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable who was diagnosed with depression and declared medically unfit for basic training and service. The Court found that the constable had been afforded ample opportunity at every stage of the proceedings and was subjected to repeated medical evaluations before the Review Medical Board recommended termination.
The Court observed that the Review Medical Board had taken into account the inherent stress of CRPF basic training and the high risk arising from easy access to firearms, which posed a danger not only to the petitioner but also to others. This consideration formed a key part of the Board’s recommendation to terminate the constable’s services.
The petitioner was appointed as a constable in the CRPF in April 2021 and sent to the Recruit Training Centre at Suratgarh for basic training. Within six weeks of commencing training, he was admitted to the ATC Hospital at Suratgarh with complaints of excessive negative thoughts, restlessness, and mood swings. He underwent treatment at various hospitals and was prescribed anti-depressants and benzodiazepines. Following this, he was relegated from basic training and returned to the CRPF Group Centre at Hyderabad.
A psychiatric evaluation conducted at the CRPF Composite Hospital in Hyderabad in June 2021 found that he continued to experience negative thoughts and diagnosed him with ‘Mixed Anxiety and Depression’. He was provisionally declared unfit for basic training and advised to continue medication. A subsequent review in August 2021 by a psychiatrist confirmed that he remained unfit for basic training and advised the continuation of medication.