High Court: Central government ordered to deposit Rs 3 lakh into bank account of 84-yr-old widow

Aurangabad, Nov 5:

The divisional bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice R G Awchat has ordered the Central Government to deposit an amount of Rs 3 lakh in the account of an 84-year widow of freedom fighter, in four weeks. The next hearing upon the case will be on November 25.

The freedom fighter from Golatgaon (in Aurangabad district) Arjunrao Salunke was getting pension through the State Government and the Central Government under Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme. In 1986-87, Arjunrao nominated the name of his wife Draupadabai on his PPF application. Arjunrao was getting pension till 2014. After his death, the widow Draupadabai got a family pension till November 2015. However, the State Bank of India stopped releasing pension without any intimation from December 2015. On inquiry, the bank persons told her that she had not submitted her life certificate. As a result, the lady submitted the demanded documents. However, the pension was not released to her despite fulfilling the formalities. Hence, she filed a petition in the High Court through Adv Sandeep Andhale.

After primary hearing upon the case, the bench expected both the governments to make a provision of depositing the pension money into the account of the 84-year-old widow in one week. When the court''s order was implemented, she brought into the notice of the court. Hence the bench gave the above order.