NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought response from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on a petition seeking the replacement of INSAS rifles with modern firearm in military and para-military forces.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw asked the MoD to take instructions on a PIL, filed by Lt Col (retd) Deepak Malhotra, alleging that because of bureaucratic red tape soldiers were made to use clearly inferior weapons at the risk of losing their lives. “You (the MoD) get instruction and place your report before us without failure before July 8. You (MoD) introduce new fighter plane time and again and why are you not thinking on this aspect (removal of INSAS)? The MoD should do something for these people (military and para-military personnel using INSAS),” the court said.
The petition was filed in the wake of the recent deaths of several BSF jawans in an ambush at Dantewara district of Chattisgarh, alleging that the indigenous made defective INSAS led to the loss of lives. “The defect in these rifles has been known to authorities since long, but because of bureaucratic red tape the jawans are made to make do with clearly inferior weapons at the risk of losing their lives,” the petition said.