In a scathing rebuke, the Supreme Court on Thursday criticized the Central government for filing “frivolous appeals” against disability pension claims of retired army personnel. The apex court stressed that dragging ex-servicemen to court over legitimate pension relief not only burdened the judiciary but also affected the morale of the armed forces.
The two-judge bench, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, made these remarks while hearing the Centre’s appeal against an Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order granting disability pension to a retired radio fitter from the Indian Army. The court questioned the necessity of such appeals, emphasizing a need for a more compassionate approach.
“There has to be some pragmatic view. Army personnel work for 15 or 20 years, and suppose there is some disability, and the Armed Forces Tribunal directs payment of disability pension. Why should these persons be dragged to the Supreme Court?” Justice Oka asked.
Urging the government to devise a clear policy on disability pensions, the court warned of imposing heavy costs if such “frivolous” appeals continued. “You (Centre) say whether you are willing to frame a policy. And if you say no, then we will have to start imposing heavy costs whenever we find that the appeal appears to be frivolous,” the bench stated.
