K Riyas, a civil police officer with Ernakulam Armed Reserve Camp has sought permission to permanently sport beard citing religious reasons. After his requests were rejected by the higher ups, he approached the High Court. The court asked government to file an affidavit on the matter.
What if police men sported beard? Don’t they have the right to let it grow?
A civil police officer from Ernakulam has been fighting long to ascertain his right to grow facial hair for religious reasons.
Navy and Air Force personnel can sport beard, but not the cops in Kerala Police. Rejection of the right to grow beard also amounts to denial of fundamental rights of personal liberty and freedom of religion, he says.
On the other day, K Riyas, a Muslim civil police officer of Ernakulam Armed Reserve Camp, approached Kerala High Court seeking permission to grow beard as part of his faith.
Years back, the higher ups had allowed him to grow beard during the holy month of Ramadan, as a special case. Later, he sought permission to keep it permanently, but was denied permission to do so.
After this, in 2012, Riyas forwarded a representation to the government in which pointed out that Naval and Air Force personnel are allowed to grow beard under medical and religious grounds. A year later, he submitted an application repeating his request, but was rejected by DGP citing that the request went against the norms laid down in the Police Manual.
As his repeated requests were turned down, Riyas approached the Kerala High Court. In the Special Leave Petition, he pointed out that the State Police Chief denied him the fundamental rights to equality, equal opportunity, right to life and personal liberty. By not permitted to grow beard while in uniform also amounted to the denial of the right to freedom of religion, he stated.
The court has agreed to look into the issue and sought the opinion of the state government in the matter.
