The Centre’s appeal
in SC challenged a 2016 Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment.
By Our Legal
Correspondent in New Delhi
Published 29.05.20,
3:48 AM Updated 29.05.20, 3:48 AM
The Supreme Court
has ruled that a divorced daughter is entitled to dependent family pension on a
par with an unmarried daughter, dismissing the central government’s appeal
challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment.
An apex court bench
of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Krishan Murari refused to interfere with a
July 29, 2016, judgment of a division bench of the high court.
“We are of the view
that the impugned order adopts a progressive and socially constructive approach
to give benefits to a daughter who was divorced, treating her at parity with
the unmarried daughter. We fully agree with this view…,” the Supreme Court
said.
The plea of Khajani
Devi, a divorcee and daughter of a freedom fighter, for pension under the
Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980, had been rejected by the
defence ministry on the ground that it applied only to dependent parents,
widows and unmarried daughters.
The high court
division bench had observed: “It is not the case that the daughters are
excluded altogether. An unmarried daughter finds mention in the list of
eligible dependents. It would, thus, be a travesty to exclude a divorced
daughter.…”
Source (The
Telegraph)
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