Can Muslim Cops Sport Beard?

The Supreme Court in its recent order has asked the Centre and Maharashtra government to explain if Muslim policemen should be allowed to sport beard. The court has asked the government to submit its report within four weeks. The case pertains to a Muslim constable Zahiruddin Shamsuddin against whom disciplinary proceedings were initiated about six months ago because he had refused to shave off his beard.  Zahiruddin has approached the Supreme Court to sort out the issue. “We did some homework and found a few High Courts were against Muslim policemen sporting beards… we will look into this issue and we want to know the reaction of the Centre,” the Supreme Court judges said. While the constable’s lawyer argued that in earlier cases, the Centre has allowed Muslim policemen to keep neatly-trimmed beards, accepting that it is a religious practice, in this case his client was denied the permission to do so.