Zahiroddin Shamsoddin Bedade was suspended due to the 'no beard' policy (representational image)
Shave your beard and get your job back.
This was the offer made to Zahiroddin Shamsoddin Bedade by Supreme Court. The constable was suspended from duty for not adhering to the 'no-beard' policy of Maharashtra State Reserve Police. A bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar said it felt sorry for him and will allow him to join back if he agrees to keep the beard only during religious periods. "It's your choice," the bench told Mr Bedade. But his lawyer refused the offer saying there was no concept of temporary beard in Islam.
Zahiroddin Shamsoddin Bedade joined the force as a constable in 2012 and was granted permission to keep his beard. But the permission was revoked and he was suspended after amendments were made to the policy. He approached the top court in 2013 after the Bombay High Court upheld his suspension order. The high court had said he could keep the beard only during religious period and the force was a secular agency and discipline required him to stick to secular rules. He challenged Bombay High Court's order and approached the apex court.
In December last year, the top court dealt with a similar petition filed by Indian Air Force official Mohammad Zubair in which it ruled that unless keeping a beard was an integral part of one's religion - such as in the Sikh community - no personnel could be allowed to grow a beard.
(With inputs from PTI)