IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT RAWAL &

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE MURALEE KRISHNA S.

TH THURSDAY, THE 29 DAY OF MAY 2025 / 8TH JYAISHTA, 1947 WP(C) NO. 8226 OF 2024 PETITIONER/APPLICANT:

CRAFTSMAN ROBINSON VV (EX NO. 14504381)

AGED 76 YEARS,S/O LATE. VJ VARGHESE RELIANCE HOUSE MUNDUPARAMBA P.O MALAPPURAM (DIST.),KERALA, PIN -

676509 BY ADVS.

SHRI.RATHEESH B.

SHRI.GYOTHISH CHANDRAN RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS:

1 UNION OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, SOUTH BLOCK, NEW DELHI, PIN - 110011

2 THE CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF INTEGRATED HQ (ARMY), SOUTH BLOCK, NEW DELHI, PIN -

110011

3 O IC RECORDS EME RECORDS, PIN 900 493, C/O 56 APO

4 PRINCIPAL CONTROLLER OF DEFENCE ACCOUNTS (PENSIONS)

OFFICE OF THE PCDA (P), DRAUPATI GARH, ALLAHABAD, PIN - 211014 SRI.SUVIN R MENON THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON

29.05.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:

J U D G M E N T

Muralee Krishna, J.

This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India by the applicant in O.A. No.255 of 2022 on the file of the Armed Forces Tribunal, Regional Bench, Kochi (‘the Tribunal’ for short), challenging the order dated 21.11.2023, whereby the claim of the petitioner for invalid pension was dismissed.

2. The facts in brief which led to the filing of this writ petition are as follows: The petitioner was enrolled in the Indian Army on 30.04.1971 and was invalided out of service on 02.06.1979 due to ‘neurosis (depressive reaction 300)’ at 30% for two years. According to the petitioner, he was ineligible for invalid pension at the time of his invalidment due to the stipulation of 10 years minimum service period in Regulation 198 of the Pension Regulations for the Army, 1961, as existed at that time. But subsequently, the requirement of 10 years service period was relaxed vide Annexure A2, GOI (MOD) letter No.12(06)/2019/D (Pen/Pol) dated 16.07.2020 issued by the Government in view of the judgment of the Apex Court in Union of India v. P.A Thomas (SLP (C)No.20339 of 2011). Citing the said change in the Regulation, the petitioner approached this Court by filing W.P.(C)No.5724 of 2005. But that writ petition was dismissed vide judgment dated 07.03.2005, however, granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the Tribunal. Hence, the petitioner filed the above O.A. contending that in view of the judgment of the Apex Court in D.S Nakara and others v. Union of India [(1983) 1 SCC 305] the cut-off date for granting invalid pension fixed as 04.01.2019 in Annexure A2 is illegal and arbitrary. However, the Tribunal dismissed the O.A.

3. Heard Sri.Ratheesh B, the learned counsel for the petitioner, and Sri. Suvin R.Menon, the learned Counsel for the respondents.

4. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi, granted invalid pension to the members of the Armed Forces invalided out of service before 04.01.2019. In support of his said contention, the learned counsel produced the order dated 03.07.2023 in O.A. No.2148 of 2019, order dated 18.12.2024 in OA No.2370 of 2024 and the order dated 06.02.2025 in O.A. No. 476 of 2015 of the Principal Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal, New Delhi. The learned counsel submitted that the order of the Principal Bench of the Tribunal still holds good and hence the respondents cannot take a different stand in the case of the petitioner.

5. On the other hand, the learned DSGI would submit that the Tribunal has correctly analysed the facts and reached to a right conclusion and no interference is needed by this Court exercising extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

6. The petitioner enrolled in the Indian Army on 30.04.1971 and was invalided out of service on 02.06.1979 due to ‘neurosis (depressive reaction 300)’. At the time of entering service, no disability was noted in his service records. According to the respondents, the petitioner