Court orders pension for freedom fighter's widow, criticises state's rejection
Deshpande had applied for a pension under the Swatantrya Sainik Sanman Pension Scheme in 2004, claiming benefits under the 'Underground Freedom Fighter' category for his role in the Hyderabad Liberation Movement of 1947-48. Despite recommendations from the District Honour Committee, the state rejected his claim in 2016.When Deshpande challenged the rejection, the High Court remanded the matter in 2020, directing the state to reconsider his claim "sympathetically and not perfunctorily or hyper technically.' However, the Maharashtra government upheld its earlier decision, maintaining that Deshpande failed to submit documents proving his participation in the movement.The court noted that the state had ignored available material 'on the grounds uncalled for.' It pointed out that the Government Resolution (GR) governing the pension scheme only required supporting documents 'if available.'The judges found that the affidavits of other pensioned freedom fighters and testimonies of villagers aged between 85 and 95 years were credible and sufficient to establish Deshpande's participation in the movement.They held that the state's insistence on specific documents failed the 'test of probability-based assessment,' which should guide decisions in pension claims.An affidavit submitted in court detailed Deshpande's involvement in the Hyderabad Liberation Movement, saying that he had been inspired by freedom fighters' speeches and had cut and burned trees in defiance of the law. As a result, he faced police atrocities, had his house looted, and was forced to go underground.The affidavit further said that he underwent arms training, participated in armed conflicts with the police, lived in forests and hills, and provided secret information to other freedom fighters.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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