HC dismisses plea seeking replacement of INSAS rifle

"The petition clearly lacks any material or substantial details to show any shortcomings in INSAS rifle as to warrant any interference or directions by this court in the public interest litigation (PIL)," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said. 

"We see no reason to pass any orders in the present PIL. The petition is accordingly dismissed," it said. The court's order came on a PIL filed by Lt Col (retd) Deepak Malhotra, who had alleged that because of "bureaucratic red tape" soldiers are made to use "clearly inferior weapon" at the "risk of losing their lives". The petition was filed in the wake of recent deaths of several jawans of BSF in an ambush in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh, alleging that indigenously made INSAS (an abbreviation of Indian Small System) was defective which led to the loss of soldier lives. 

"The defect in these rifles has been known to authorities since long but because of bureaucratic red tape the jawans are made to make do with a clearly inferior weapon at the risk of losing their life," the petition had said. INSAS is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG).