The Maharashtra authorities has failed to understand that as a result of fortuitous nature, navy personnel and their spouses who spend a majority a part of their lives being deployed in varied states don’t get a chance to spend or reside for an extended length of time in a single specific state. Therefore, second era kids of defence personnel can by no means meet the factors of ‘delivery’ or ‘steady residence for a specific variety of years in a state’ as since their childhood, they’ve moved throughout varied states together with their mother and father.
The rivalry is raised by Aakriti Sood, widow of late Main Anuj Sood, who after operating from pillar to publish to get the rightful advantages for ex-servicemen, has approached earlier than the Bombay Excessive Court docket. She approached the excessive court docket aggrieved by the “insensitive strategy” of the federal government as her repeated requests have fallen on deaf ears up to now 4 years.
Main Sood, 30, laid down his life on Could 2, 2020, whereas rescuing civilian hostages from terrorist hideouts in Jammu and Kashmir, and was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.
Aakriti has sought advantages below two authorities resolutions (GR) of 2019 and 2020.
Nevertheless, the state has contended that solely those that had been “born in Maharashtra” or have “lived within the state constantly for 15 years” had been eligible for financial profit and allowance.
Based on her plea, Aakriti, who’s daughter of a former navy serviceman, has a domicile certificates dated November 20, 2003. Her father can be a domicile of Maharashtra.
The late main’s father was additionally an ex-serviceman and therefore his complete childhood was spent in several states the place his father was posted. On February 3, 2010, with the intention of creating Pune as their everlasting dwelling, the late main bought a residential dwelling there. That is his “solely everlasting tackle of martyr Main Anuj Sood, until the time he laid down his life for the nation”, states the plea.
On June 9, 2012, the late main accomplished his coaching from Indian Army Academy and since then he was posted at varied places. He additionally accomplished his Younger Officers Course from Ahmednagar in 2015-16.
The 2 married on September 29, 2017, and settled in Pune. “The wedding registration certificates additionally has the tackle of Pune home,” the plea provides.
Following his dying, the commanding officer for the 21 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, on June 2, 2020, despatched a letter to principal secretary and particular inquiry officer of the Common Administration Division informing concerning the main’s dying, together with all of the related paperwork, and requested the authority “to grant ex-gratia reduction from the Maharashtra authorities to subsequent of kin”.
Nevertheless, on August 20, 2020, the state “outrightly discarded” the late main and his widow’s declare and entitlement to obtain the rightful ex-gratia reduction citing the explanation of “not residing within the state for 15 years”.
The plea factors out that Aakriti, who has ancestral roots in Himachal Pradesh, was born in Delhi, as a result of her father’s transfers. They moved to Pune when she was in Grade 3 after her father retired. It is just after that they obtained a everlasting tackle at Pune.
Even the late main’s father was posted in Pune on two events after they determined to quiet down there. Therefore, they bought a home in Pune.
“As an alternative of feeling proud that Martyr Maj Anuj Sood was a everlasting resident of the State of Maharashtra, the respondents are disowning him on the bottom that he was not ‘the domicile’ of the State of Maharashtra, having not constantly resided within the State of Maharashtra, for 15 years. Although, inter-alia the Aadhaar and PAN card and such different related paperwork of Martyr Maj Anuj Sood demonstrates his everlasting residential tackle from Pune,” her plea states.
The plea states that after her husband’s dying, she obtained “unwavering sympathy and bountiful condolences”, however nobody within the authorities addressed her actual issues and “everybody has turned their blind eye in direction of the identical”. She factors out that varied letters expressing grief and condolences had been all addressed by varied dignitaries to their “everlasting dwelling in Pune”.
“After her husband has sacrificed his life for the nation, she has been left to battle an limitless battle of her personal. That too for one thing that she deserves on account of being a ”Veerpatni / Veeranari,” her plea provides.
Aakriti had made representations to the prime minister, chief minister and in addition the previous governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
The governor had acknowledged the representations and forwarded the request for “acceptable consideration” to the central in addition to the state authorities. The defence minister, by way of a letter dated November 11, 2022, assured the then governor that “the matter is being regarded into”.
The governor additionally requested the state authorities on December 7, 2022, that for the reason that late main sacrificed his life and was martyred at a really younger age, he couldn’t acquire a domicile certificates. Nevertheless, the petitioner is the domicile of Maharashtra and, subsequently, her request could also be thought-about treating this as a particular case.
Justice For Aakriti Singh Sood
Main Anuj Sood was martyred when terrorists gunned him down whereas he was making an attempt to rescue civilian hostages in Kashmir on Could 2, 2020. He was simply 30 then. In recognition of his extraordinary bravery the Shourya Chakra was posthumously conferred on him by the President of India. Though his spouse, Akriti Singh Sood, is entitled to sure advantages from the Maharashtra authorities it has been refusing to grant the identical on the bottom that he was not domiciled within the state having not constantly resided for 15 years. The actual fact is that he was a everlasting resident of Pune and his Aadhar, PAN and different important paperwork show that he was very a lot a son of Maharashtra.
For the previous 4 years, Akriti has been operating from pillar to publish looking for the advantages, however in useless. She has lastly moved the Bombay excessive court docket which requested the federal government to grant the advantages as a particular case. Even then the federal government is dragging its ft.
The Free Press Journal (FPJ) has began a marketing campaign referred to as ”Justice for Aakriti Singh Sood” . We enchantment to all readers to put in writing to chief minister Eknath Shinde requesting him to contemplate the suggestion of the excessive court docket and grant the prayers of the widow of a martyr who laid down his life for the entire of India, together with Maharashtra. Please ship your mail to cm@maharashtra.gov.in with a duplicate marked to fpjreaderreporter@gmail.com