$~31 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 5387/2025 MANMOOD SHANKAR .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Abhinav Bhardwaj, Mr. Pankaj G., Mr. Utkarsh Singh & Mr. Kartik Mishra, Advs.

versus LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA .....Respondent Through: Mr. Ankur Goel, Adv.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJEEV NARULA

O R D E R

% 07.01.2026

1. This petition, inter alia, seeks a direction to the Respondent to release the Petitioner’s retiral benefits, including pension, leave encashment, gratuity and compassionate allowance. However, during hearing the controversy has narrowed. The Petitioner does not seek any arrears of salary for the period he remained out of service pursuant to the dismissal order dated 23^rd July, 2016. The challenge is confined to the manner in which the Respondent has computed “qualifying service” for pensionary benefits, by excluding the intervening period between dismissal and reinstatement and thereby treating the Petitioner as having only 28 years of qualifying service, as against the Petitioner’s case that the qualifying service ought to be reckoned as 31 years and 9 months.

2. The background relevant to contextualise the Petitioner’s grievance is as follows: