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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Supreme Court orders equal pensions for all HC judges, ending disparity
Applying the principle of 'one rank, one pension', the Supreme Court of India on Monday ordered that all retired High Court judges are entitled to receive full and equal pensions regardless of their source of entry and the date of appointment. The court highlighted that this is essential in ensuring equality while avoiding disparity in pensions. 'The dignity of the constitutional office demands that all judges be paid the same pension. Once a judge enters constitutional office, the source of entry loses relevance,' the court observed, as quoted by legal news website Law Trend. The judgement was passed by the three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice AG Masih and Justice K Vinod Chandran. The top court was hearing a suo motu case related to judicial retirement benefits, along with writ petitions submitted by several retired judges. Also Read 'Where equal treatment is given during service, any discrimination after retirement in terminal benefits would offend Article 14 of the Constitution,' the bench said. Unified payment structure Retired Chief Justices of High Courts will receive an annual pension of ₹15 lakh. Retired High Court Judges, including former Additional Judges, are entitled to an annual pension of ₹13.5 lakh. The Court directed that the 'one rank, one pension' principle be applied uniformly, regardless of whether a judge entered the judiciary from the Bar or through judicial service, or the length of service in either stream. For judges elevated from the district judiciary, any gap in service between the two appointments shall not affect their entitlement to full pension. Judges who began their careers in the district judiciary under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and were later elevated to the High Court are also eligible for full pension. In such cases, the entire NPS contribution, along with accrued dividends, must be refunded by the respective state governments. Family pensions must be extended to the legal heirs of High Court judges who died in harness, regardless of whether they held permanent or additional positions. The Supreme Court observed that the conclusion was reached after examining Article 221 of the Constitution and the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954. The Court underscored the significance of ensuring equal treatment in its order.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shah Rukh Khan's Ra.One animator Charu Khandal's family to receive Rs 62 lakh compensation in 2012 hit-and-run case, rules Bombay High Court
In a deeply emotional verdict, the Bombay High Court has upheld the compensation of Rs 62 lakh awarded to the family of Charu Khandal , a promising animator from 's Red Chillies Entertainment , who tragically succumbed to injuries from a hit-and-run accident. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Calling her story 'a heart-wrenching and tragic saga of a young aspiring professional woman,' the court reminded that while perfect justice is elusive, fairness must prevail. Charu Khandal had worked on Shah Rukh Khan's , was paralysed in 2012 accident According to Law Trend, a division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Advait Sethna dismissed the plea filed by Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Co. Ltd, which had challenged the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal's (MACT) decision from November 2020. The tribunal had earlier awarded the compensation to Khandal's family, recognising the long-lasting impact of her injuries. Khandal, who contributed to the visual effects of Shah Rukh Khan's film was returning home from a celebratory party in March 2012 when a speeding car rammed into her autorickshaw in Mumbai's Oshiwara. The accident left her paralysed from the neck down, a condition she lived with for five years before succumbing to septicaemia in 2017 at the age of just 28. Judges call Charu Khandal's case 'a heart-wrenching and tragic saga' of a young woman The insurance company argued that her death occurred years after the accident and lacked a direct link to the injuries. The court, however, firmly rejected this argument, stating that her death was 'a direct consequence of traumatic quadriplegia' caused by the accident. 'The Motor Vehicles Act is a beneficial piece of legislation,' the court stated, emphasising that the constitutional right to a dignified life under Article 21 must be upheld. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Quoting a Supreme Court ruling, the bench said, 'Perfect compensation is hardly possible, but fair compensation ought to be the norm.' The court also took into account the Rs 18 lakh spent by Khandal's family on medical care, which included physiotherapy and a full-time caregiver. When the insurer tried to challenge the bills on 'hyper-technical' grounds, the court dismissed the objection, saying, 'It would be extremely harsh, excessive and rather too pedantic an approach in such matters of life and death if we are to assess every single medical bill with mathematical accuracy.'
