The Delhi High Court has said that a candidate who had developed varicose veins and was operated upon later is unfit to join the armed forces since it entails working in extreme conditions and involves more physical activity.
A Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Pratibha Rani said ramifications of the operated cases of varicose veins are that it leads to impairment of blood circulation and individuals who have been operated upon for the condition, have a predisposition of developing such a problem in other vessels.
The court noted that a study has revealed that patients with varicose veins have pain or heaviness of legs, inability to walk or stand for long hours, itching and leg cramps at night. They can also have dermatitis in the region, which may lead to development of ulcers, the court observed.
The court was hearing a petition by a man who had cleared the written examination for the post of constable in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). However, he was declared medically unfit on three counts — varicose veins, tremors, and tachycardia.
The plea claimed that he had been operated upon for varicose veins at a hospital in Rohtak in May 2016 and was declared to be fit for recruitment to the post of Constable (GD) in CAPFs by the chief medical officer of Jhajjar’s general hospital.
After undergoing correctional surgery and on being declared fit, the man applied for a review medical examination, which was conducted on August 27, 2016. He claimed that the review medical board declared him unfit without even examining him.
The court dismissed the man’s petition challenging the decision to declare him medically unfit for the post of a constable in the CRPF.
‘Cannot be faulted’
It said the decision by the medical board and the review medical board declaring the man to be unfit “cannot be faulted” with and does not require its intervention.
“The petitioner may be medically fit for civilian jobs, as declared by Swastik General Surgery and Laparoscopy Hospital, Rohtak and Chief Medical Officer, General Hospital, Jhajjar, but not for military/paramilitary posts, which entails working in extreme conditions and involves much more physical activity,” the High Court Bench said.
