The Supreme Court on Friday orally remarked that it feels "very little" before the Indian Army, which is conducting Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack last month. [Lt Col Pooja Pal and Others v. Union of India and Others]..A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh was hearing a petition filed by Lieutenant Colonel Geeta Sharma, an officer who approached the Court after being relieved from service. The Court stayed her removal from service until the next date of hearing.It further directed the Central government to not release any women short service commission (SSC) officers till their petitions are considered in the next hearing. "All of us feel very little before them (Indian Army). There is no dearth of women officers. We have excellent officers," Justice Kant observed.The matter will be heard next on August 6..Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for Lieutenant Colonel Geeta Sharma, informed the Court that her client had been relieved from her current posting despite not being formally dismissed. She urged the Court to allow Sharma to continue in service.Guruswamy cited the example of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who recently led the press briefing on Operation Sindoor, noting that her continued service was made possible only because the Supreme Court had upheld the right of women to permanent commission in the landmark Babita Puniya case."Sofiya Qureshi was a petitioner in the Babita Puniya case. She would not have led the (Operation Sindoor) briefing, if milords wouldn't have interfered," Guruswamy submitted..During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati also remarked that while the nation rests peacefully, the defence forces remain vigilant and work tirelessly throughout the night to safeguard the country."The nation sleeps while the defence forces remain awake all night," she said..[Read Live Coverage]
