Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a firm stand against administrative negligence by imposing a financial penalty on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi. This 200,000-rupee fine follows a prolonged delay in granting a disability pension to retired Major Rajdeep Dinkar Pandere, a veteran who underwent twenty-four surgeries and suffered a serious kidney ailment during his decade of service. Justice Sudeepti Sharma issued the order after the military authorities failed to comply with previous directives from both the Armed Forces Tribunal and the High Court itself. The court mandated that the cost be deducted equally from the salaries of the two high-ranking officials and paid directly to the petitioner.
Major Pandere’s legal battle highlights the systemic challenges faced by injured veterans seeking rightful benefits. Commissioned in 2012 in physically fit condition, the Pune resident served in demanding high-altitude regions like Leh with the 4 Ladakh Scouts. His health deteriorated in 2017, leading to a diagnosis of cystitis cystica glandularis and dozens of subsequent surgical procedures. Despite being placed in a low medical category by multiple medical boards, his initial request for a disability pension was rejected on the grounds that his condition was neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service—a claim the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal later found incomprehensible.
The tribunal’s 2024 ruling emphasized that the Major’s disability was clearly linked to his military duties, subsequently increasing his disability rating to 50 per cent for life in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines. While a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld this entitlement in July 2025, the military authorities continued to withhold payment. This persistent non-compliance led to a contempt petition where the Major’s counsel, Rajesh Sehgal, argued that his client had not received a single cent of the sanctioned pension. The court’s recent decision to penalize top leadership underscores a judicial frustration with the state’s failure to honour its obligations to those who have served.
