NOTICE ISSUED BY SC ON PLEA TO MAKE DIVORCED DAUGHTER ELIGIBLE FOR SWATANTRA SAINIK SAMMAN PENSION

In the Matter of Tulsi Devi V. Union of India,  The petitioner is daughter of Ex –Freedom Fighter, Late Shri Gopal Ram. The petitioner stated that she was totally dependent on her parents after she got divorced in the year 2015 and after death of her father all financial support she had was the pension given under Swatantra Sainik Samman scheme to her old mother but after her mother died the pension stopped. At age of 54, Petitioner is living life of misery in extreme poor condition.

At present the Supreme Court has issued a notice on Special Leave Petition that challenge s the Himachal Pradesh High Court judgment according to which the divorced daughter of the Ex-Freedom Fighter is not eligible for Freedom Fighter’s Pension.

The petitioner showed full faith on Punjab and Haryana HC judgment of Khajani Devi v. Union of India where the judgment was in interest of freedom fighter’s pension to divorced daughter and judgment was also upheld by SC in year 2019.

The SC had dismissed the SLP against judgment of P and H high court. A bench comprising Justices UU Lalit, Mohan M Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran issued notice on the SLP, returnable by last week of July.

By Ritika Negi  of LCD