Withholding freedom fighter's pension not justified, says High Court
seeks Maha govt's reply to 90-yr-old woman's plea
Mumbai (PTI): Withholding the pension of a freedom fighter was not justified, the Bombay High Court has said and directed the Maharashtra government to respond to a plea filed by a 90-year-old wife of a freedom fighter, who died 56 years ago, seeking benefits of a government pension scheme.
A division bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Madhav Jamdar issued the order on September 24 and a copy of it was made available on Monday.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Shalini Chavan, a resident of Raigad district, seeking benefits of the 'Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980' to be accorded to her as her late husband was a freedom fighter.
As per the plea, the woman's husband, Laxman Chavan, was a freedom fighter and had participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942.
He was later sentenced following which he was imprisoned at the Byculla jail in Mumbai from April 17, 1944 to October 11, 1944. He died on March 12, 1965.
The petitioner's lawyer, Jitendra Pathade, told the court that the pension scheme's benefit was not extended to Shalini Chavan on the ground that records of her husband's arrest and imprisonment were not available.
Pathade argued that the petitioner had in 1966 submitted the imprisonment certificate of her late husband to the state government, but it could not verify the same as the old records of the Byculla prison containing details of her husband's imprisonment seem to have been destroyed or must have perished over the years.
The court, after hearing the matter briefly, noted that from the material available on record, there does not appear to be any dispute as to the status of Laxman Chavan being a freedom fighter and as regards the petitioner being his widow.
If that be so, then withholding of a freedom fighter's pension, that too for such a long period, is not justified, the high court said.
The bench directed government pleader Purnima Kantharia to obtain instructions from the state government and apprise the court on September 30.
In her plea, Shalini Chavan said she is a senior citizen without any support following her son's death, and is struggling for her daily needs.
According to the petition, after the death of Laxman Chavan, she applied for an imprisonment certificate from the superintendent of Byculla jail in 1966. After the certificate was issued to her, the petitioner approached the government in 1993 for grant of pension and other benefits under the scheme.
The plea said the petitioner had submitted all required documents to the government. In 2002, the petitioner also appeared before the state government's 'freedom fighter high powered committee' where she was informed that her pension claim would be sanctioned.
However, till date, the petitioner has not received any pension and hence, she was left with no remedy than to approach the high court, the petition said.
In her plea, Shalini Chavan also sought a direction to the state government to pay her an ex-gratia sum of Rs 10 lakh.
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Beauty of democracy: Tharoor congratulates BJP on civic body poll win in his constituency
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday, while lauding the win of the UDF in Kerala local bodies elections, also congratulated the BJP for its historic performance in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calling it the "beauty of democracy".
In a post on X, he said the people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in his constituency.
"What a day of amazing results in the Kerala local self-government elections! The mandate is clear, and the democratic spirit of the state shines through.
"A huge congratulations to @UDFKerala for a truly impressive win across various local bodies! This is a massive endorsement and a powerful signal ahead of the state legislative elections. Hard work, a strong message and anti-incumbency have all clearly paid off to achieve a much better result than in 2020," Tharoor said.
He said he also acknowledges the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and "offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city corporation - a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital's political landscape."
Tharoor said he campaigned for a change from 45 years of the LDF "misrule", but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance.
"That is the beauty of democracy. The people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency.
"We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, advocating for the people's needs and upholding the principles of good governance. Onwards and upwards!" Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said.
The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital.
Of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two wards were won by independent candidates.
The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation.
Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party.
In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, eight in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, seven in Kunnamkulam Municipality, six in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.
