In Brief
A defence personnel (Naib Subedar Umed Singh) died of cardiac failure while employed in Operation Parakram. His widow sought Liberalised Family Pension and higher ex-gratia compensation. The Supreme Court held that Liberalised Family Pension applies only to deaths "in action" (enemy combat, war, border skirmishes, militant action), not to deaths from natural causes. However, the widow remains entitled to Special Family Pension and ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs. Higher compensation (Rs. 7.5 lakhs) applies only to combat-related deaths. The appeal was partly allowed.
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