Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that a wife is entitled to family pension even after she has been convicted of murdering her husband. The court set aside the Haryana government order.
“Nobody butchers the hen giving golden eggs. The wife cannot be deprived of the family pension even if she murders her husband. Family pension is a welfare scheme that was launched to provide financial help to the family in the event of a government employee’s death. Wife is entitled to family pension even if she is convicted in a criminal case,” observed the court.
The observations were made while hearing a plea filed by Baljeet Kaur who was convicted of murdering her husband. She was booked in 2009 and convicted in 2011. Her husband, Tarsem Singh was a Haryana government employee and passed away in 2008. Baljeet Kaur received family pension till 2011 and after her conviction, the Haryana government stopped the pension.
Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the order issued by the Haryana government and directed the concerned department to release family pension for the petitioner within two months along with all pending dues.
A wife is entitled to the family pension after the death of her husband under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. In case of remarriage, the widow of a government employee is entitled to receive the family pension.
