Bombay HC directs Navy to reconsider doctor's disability pension within 6 weeks
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has given the Navy six weeks to reconsider its decision to revoke the disability pension of retired naval doctor Dr Anan Jaiswal. The court warned that contempt proceedings may follow if the Navy does not respond within the specified timeframe.
Dr Jaiswal, who served at INS Jeevanti in Goa and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was discharged from service in 2012 after being classified with a disability. The disability was due to his service. He was supposed to receive the disability pension of a retired naval doctor.
However, he has been engaged in a legal battle to secure his pension. Although the Navy had assured the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Mumbai, that his pension would be reinstated, the Navy unexpectedly revoked Jaiswal's pension payment order (PPO).
According to the Times of India, the Navy began disbursing Dr Jaiswal's disability pension in March 2023, following the AFT's 2019 ruling. However, the Navy has since ceased these payments, despite the absence of a stay on the AFT's decision. The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 28, after its summer recess. "The Navy asked for time to reconsider, and the high court has given the Navy six weeks to respond. If they don't respond, then our contempt petition will be accepted," said Jaiswal's lawyer Satendra Kumar.
