High Court judgment on Freedom Fighter Pension for daughters

In a landmark judgment passed by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi on 10.08.2021 held that the widowed daughter of the FREEDOM FIGHTER is also entitled to pension benefit under the scheme of “SWATANTRATA SANIK SAMMAN PENSION SCHEME “. Earlier this scheme was available to the unmarried daughter only of the freedom fighter. Now by virtue of this judgment, along with unmarried daughters, Divorced and Widowed daughters are also entitled to receive pension benefits. During 25thAnniversary of the Independence, a central scheme for the grant of pension to freedom fighters and their families from central revenue was introduced by the Government of India. The scheme commenced from 15.08.1972 and provided for the grant of pension to living freedom fighters and their families and if they are no more alive, to the families of martyrs. However, the benefit of the pension scheme was extended w.e.f 01.08.1980 to all the freedom fighters as a token of ‘SAMMAN’ to them under the scheme namely “SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN PENSION SCHEME”. It is argued by Mahesh Tiwari Advocate for the Petitioner that the father of the petitioner was a freedom fighter and getting pension under the said scheme died on 01.11.2019 leaving behind his sole biological survivor and fully dependent widow daughter. It is submitted that after the death of the father of the petitioner, she has filed an application requesting to disburse the pension earlier granted to her late father under the scheme of ‘SWATANTRA SAINIK SAMMAN PENSION SCHEME’ to the petitioner. But the Government of India Ministry of Home affair has rejected the request of the petitioner. It is contented by Mahesh Tiwari that SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN pension scheme is intended to honour the valour of the uniformed people who laid down their lives or suffered for the cause of the country.
To read the full judgement click here: SMT. KOLLI INDIRA KUMARI V/S THE UNION OF INDIA