PIL on Muslim headcount withdrawn

Former deputy chief of Army staff Lieutenant General R S Kadiyan on Monday withdrew his petition seeking an immediate halt to the Muslim head count in defence forces. This was consequent to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement that the Rajender Sachchar Committee will not go ahead with it.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal asked Kadiyan's counsel to withdraw the petition as the Defence Minister has already made a statement that the committee will not go ahead with the Muslim headcount in the defence forces.

Following this, Rajiv Datta, who represented Kadiyan, withdrew the petition. While dismissing Kadiyan's petition as withdrawn, the court gave him the liberty to approach it again in case there is a need.

"We have already heard the petitioner in person. So there is no need to hear you (the counsel) as the concerned minister has already made a statement that the headcount has stopped," the Court said.