IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HON’BLE SMT. JUSTICE T. MADHAVI DEVI WRIT PETITION No.25902 OF 2023 DATE : 19.01.2026 Between:

Bokka Shravan …Petitioner AND The State of Telangana & 2 others …Respondents

ORDER

This writ petition is filed is seeking to declare the action of respondents in not paying the assured sum of Rs.5.00 Lakhs only (Rupees Five lakhs only) under LIC-ID No.351966 to the Nominee/writ petitioner herein for the death of his father on 20.06.2021, only on the ground that the deceased member was above 59 years of age as per the entries in the Aadhaar Portal, as illegal and arbitrary and to consequently to direct the respondents to pay the assured sum of Rs.5.00 lakhs to the petitioner and to pass such other order or orders as this Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper.

2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner; the learned Government Pleader for Agriculture appearing for respondent Nos.1 & 2 and the learned Standing Counsel appearing for respondent No.3.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner had submitted that at the time of issuance of Aadhar Card, the year of birth of the petitioner’s father was mentioned as 1970 and according to the said entry the petitioner’s father was 51 years old at the time of his death. Learned counsel for the petitioner has drawn attention of this Court to the copy of the Aadhar Card filed at Page No.25 of the Writ Petition and also the policy issued by the LIC, wherein the date of birth is mentioned as 01.07.1970. It is further stated that the petitioner’s father has joined the scheme on 15.08.2018, as per the Certificate issued by the LIC. Therefore, it is contended that the petitioner’s father fell within the eligible age band of 18 to 59 years at the time of joining the scheme, and upon his death, his nominee is entitled to the assured benefits. It is further submitted that respondents denied the benefit to the petitioner only on the ground that the Aadhar Portal reflected the year of birth of the petitioner’s father as 1950 and not

1970, thereby placing him outside the prescribed age band.

4. Learned Government Pleader for Agriculture and learned Standing Counsel for LIC relied upon the averments made in their counter affidavits filed by respective respondents and submitted that the petitioner’s father had modified his date of birth in the Aadhar Card in the year 2017, reflecting his year of birth as 1950 and suppressing the same, he joined the scheme in 2018 mentioning his year of birth as 1970. And when the details of the deceased were verified on Aadhar Portal, the discrepancy was noticed and it was found that the deceased falls within the age group of 70 to 80 years and therefore, he is not entitled to the benefit under the scheme. Learned Government Pleader for Agriculture further submitted that in order to get the benefit of other schemes, such as old age pension, the petitioner’s father appears to have changed his date of birth in the Aadhar Card. Therefore, the petitioner is not entitled to the relief claimed.

5. The learned counsel for LIC submitted that at the time of issuance of the policy, no verification is done and only the documents filed by the applicant are taken into consideration and at the time of disbursement, verification is done to ensure that the disbursement is done to correct person only.

6. Learned counsel for the petitioner, however relied upon the decision of this Court in similar matter i.e. in W.P.No.35936 of 2021, dated 14.02.2022 and submitted that since the respondent No.3-LIC had issued the certificate after verification of records with regard to the eligibility and age, respondent No.3 cannot now turn around and submit that the petitioner’s father is not falling within the prescribed age band of 18 to 59.

7. Learned Government Pleader for Agriculture on the other hand had relied upon the decision of this Court in W.P.No.13533 of 2023, dated 11.06.2024, wherein in similar circumstances, the relief was denied.

8. Having cons