Pay benefits to disabled war hero: HC to Centre

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Union Government to pay an additional 15 per cent interest on the arrears of war injury pension to Capt Reet MP Singh, who was decorated with the Vir Chakra in the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

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It rapped the government for unnecessarily challenging an AFT order in favour of the war hero.

The injured officer had sustained 80 per cent disability and lost an eye in the war, but had not been granted enhanced benefits by broad-banding of disability percentage in accordance with a policy introduced by the Centre with effect from 1996.

The HC Bench, comprising Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Meenakshi Mehta, expressed shock that a war hero was being dragged into litigation, despite the issue being settled by the apex court. The Bench was also dismayed that the 2018 judgment passed by the AFT was being challenged. Furthermore, the court directed that additional interest be recovered from the officers responsible for delaying the payment to the war hero.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had earlier granted enhanced benefits only to invalidation cases post-1996, denying them to pre-1996 cases. Additionally, those who were released with disability pension or war injury pension upon the completion of their term, voluntary retirement or superannuation were also refused these benefits.

The Supreme Court had, however, struck down the cut-off date and quashed the distinction based on the manner of exit from service and had directed the payment of benefits with arrears from 1996 with 8 per cent interest to all affected disabled retirees.