• Source:PTI
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed a Rs 50,000 cost on the Centre for appealing against the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order that granted a liberalised family pension (LFP) to the widow of a soldier who died during a counter-terrorism patrol in Jammu and Kashmir. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih criticised the Centre’s approach, stating that the widow should not have been forced into legal proceedings.

"In a case like this, the respondent ought not to have been dragged to court," the bench stated, adding that the decision-making authorities should have shown compassion toward the widow of a soldier who died in service.

The court ordered the Centre to pay Rs 50,000 cost to the widow within two months, starting from Tuesday. The apex court was hearing the Centre’s plea challenging the AFT's directive to grant LFP along with arrears from January 2013.

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The case involved Naik Inderjeet Singh, who suffered a cardiac arrest while on patrol in harsh weather in January 2013. Initially classified as a "battle casualty," his death was later reclassified as a "physical casualty" related to military service. Despite receiving terminal benefits, including a special family pension, Singh’s widow was denied the LFP.

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She then appealed to the AFT, which ruled in her favour, directing the payment of LFP and an ex-gratia lump sum for battle casualties. However, the Centre and the Army challenged this decision before the Supreme Court, resulting in Tuesday's ruling against them.

(With PTI Inputs)