In Brief
Santosh Devi, widow of a Territorial Army soldier who died during disembodied state without 15 years' qualifying service, sought family pension. The Armed Forces Tribunal dismissed her claim, noting that Territorial Army personnel who die without the minimum service requirement while disembodied are not entitled to family pension under existing rules. The Supreme Court upheld this position on statutory grounds—Territorial Army and regular army operate under different legal frameworks. However, recognizing the acknowledged anomaly and hardship, the Court exercised its Article 142 powers to award the widow an ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakhs.
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