JUDGMENT :

Arun R. Pedneker, J.

1. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. With the consent of parties, heard finally.

2. We have heard Advocate R.M. Sharma for the petitioner, Advocate Shri Bagul for Union of India and Advocate P.K. Lakhotiya, advocate for respondent No. 2/State.

3. By this writ petition, the petitioner [wife of deceased Ranchoddas Vaishnav (Bairagi)] is praying for quashing of communications dated 22.3.1999 issued by Gaurav Samiti and 31.7.1999 issued by the Collector, Jalna and further communication dated 16.8.2000 of the Under Secretary to the Government of India, rejecting the freedom fighter’s claim of the petitioner’s deceased husband. She further prays for direction to the respondents to grant freedom fighter pension to the petitioner as the widow of a freedom fighter.

4. The petitioner is the widow of late Ranchoddas Vaishnav (Bairagi) and she is residing at Jalna. The petitioner claims that her husband, at the relevant time, was involved in Hyderabad Liberation Movement and his activities were prejudicial to the then occupying forces. The husband of the petitioner was an underground activist. The petitioner further submits that her husband had filed application