NEW DELHI, Nov. 26 -- Underlining that soldiers cannot prioritise personal religious interpretation over the collective ethos of the armed forces, the Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on a Christian officer of the Indian Army who had refused to enter the sanctum sanctorum of his regiment's "sarv dharm sthal" (place of worship for all faiths), and dismissed his petition challenging his termination. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi called the sacked officer a "misfit for the Indian Army" and a soldier who allowed his "religious ego" to override discipline, cohesion and respect for his own men. Remarking that his behaviour reflected the "grossest form of contempt and indiscipline", the bench added that this type of "cantankerous attitude is not acceptable in an armed force". The bench also noted that the regiment also maintained a gurdwara, given the presence of Sikh soldiers. "A gurdwara is one of the most secular places.... The manner in which he is behaving, is he not insulting other religions?" the CJI asked. Samuel Kamalesan joined the Indian Army as a Lieutenant in the 3rd Cavalry regiment in 2017. The regiment comprised three squadrons of Sikh, Jat and Rajput personnel. In 2021, he was dismissed over his refusal to enter the sanctum sanctorum of a "sarv dharm sthal" despite repeated instructions. His counsel submitted that the officer feared being compelled to perform rituals.P4...