SC Dismisses Centre’s Appeal Against Disability Pension On The Ground Of Delusional Disorder

The Supreme Court bench of Justices S.A.Bobde and L.Nageswara Rao, on September 15, dismissed Centre’s appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s 2010 judgment, granting disability pension on the ground of delusional disorder, to the respondent, Manjit Singh.

Manjit Singh’s claim for disability pension was denied on the ground that the problem of delusional disorder was neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service.  The Single Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court first concluded that Manjit Singh developed the problem after almost three years  of joining the Army in 1997.  The Single Judge noted that Army service carries great stress and strains, whether during the war, or to maintain law and order, or mitigate suffering in the aftermath of natural calamities.  As Manjit Singh did not suffer from the disease at the time of entry into service, he was entitled to disability pension, the single Judge ruled.

The Letters Patent bench dismissed the appeal from the Centre against the Single Judge’s decision,on August 18, 2010, saying it could not raise any substantial issue, or cite any law contrary to the one on which the Single Judge relied on.

The Supreme Court bench dismissed the Centre’s appeal on the ground of delay of over seven years from the date of the judgment of the Letters Patent bench of the High Court.