Tattooed man may get job in CAPF

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has directed the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and its medical board to allow an applicant, who was declared unfit owing to having a tattoo on his right arm, to attend an interview process for selection. The court said that since the candidate had approached doctors to conduct plastic surgery on his arm to remove the tattoo, he be allowed to give the interview.

A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharti Dangre was hearing a petition filed by Ravikumar Karad.

According to him, he had participated in the examination process conducted by the CAPF for the post of ‘Assistant Commandant’.

On May 14, 2010, the Medical Board declared him unfit in a medical examination because he had an inscribed tattoo, Aai on his right forearm. However, the petitioner had cleared the written examination and physical examination and was at the interview stage.

In a medical examination conducted on March 6, 2019 the petitioner was declared unfit on two accounts of being overweight by 6.5 kg and having a tattoo.

The petitioner, thereafter, had applied for a review medical examination as he reduced the excess weight and also approached the plastic surgeon to remove the tattoo.

“In any case, the petitioner has stated that he has been able to erase the tattoo to the extent of 90% and he is taking steps to erase the same. We fail to understand as to how the placement of the tattoo would come in the restricted part of the body,” said the court

The court further said, “On the basis of our prima facie observations, we direct the medical board to permit the petitioner to participate in the interview and we further direct the medical board that only on the ground of the objection rose in the Medical Certificate by the Board, he shall not be refused to be interviewed.”