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The family members of Border Security Force jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, whose social media post on 'sub-standard' food quality triggered a controversy, on Monday met the force's director general in New Delhi seeking speedy disposal of the inquiry instituted against him.
Officials said that Yadav's wife Sharmila Yadav, her elder brother and ex-paramilitary association General Secretary Ranbir Singh met Border Security Force chief K K Sharma at the forces' headquarters, where they were assured that a "fair inquiry as per procedure" will be conducted in the case.
They said Yadav's family had expressed desire to meet the DG following which the meeting was arranged.
The BSF had recently rejected the voluntary retirement plea of Yadav.
The move by the country's largest border-guarding force had not been seen kindly by Yadav's family which had alleged that the trooper was being "threatened and tortured mentally".
Rejecting Yadav's plea under the voluntary retirement scheme, the BSF said that it has been "cancelled pending the court of inquiry and finalisation of its recommendations".
"Cancellation of VRS was communicated to constable Yadav on January 30 evening only," the BSF said in a statement while making it clear that he "has not been arrested" as alleged by the family.
Yadav's wife had claimed that her husband had called her and claimed that he was being threatened and harassed and that he has been put under arrest.
Officials in the force had said that as per the laid down procedures under a court of inquiry, all witnesses in a case are questioned by the probe team till the investigation is complete.
The trooper is also facing charges of indiscipline for uploading the social media post and also on various other counts and hence in such a case the privilege of granting a VRS to an employee is disallowed, they had said.
A video shot by Yadav in which he was complaining about the quality of food had gone viral last month triggering a flurry of reactions with the Prime Minister's Office also seeking a detailed factual report on it from the Union home ministry and the BSF.
The ministry had informed the PMO that the BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of rations at any post and that security the personnel deployed along the borders never complained about food.
The border-guarding force had also came out with fresh guidelines for maintaining high quality of food for its personnel after the video went viral.
Yadav, wearing uniform and carrying a rifle in the video, claimed that while the government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers "sell these off" in an "illegal" manner in the market and the personnel have to suffer.
He had also posted other videos in which he had claimed that the quality of food served was not good.