High Court Imposes ₹2 Lakh Penalty on Army Chief for Non-Compliance in Veteran Pension Case
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a significant step to enforce judicial accountability in cases related to veterans' benefits. The court has imposed a personal cost of ₹2 lakh on Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. This action comes after the failure to implement court orders granting a disability pension to a retired Army Major, despite multiple judicial directives.
Justice Sudeepti Sharma, in her order dated April 30, 2026, in a contempt petition, instructed that the cost be deducted equally from the salaries of the two senior officials. The amount is to be paid to Major (Retd) Rajdeep Dinkar Pandere through a demand draft. The court provided one last chance for the respondents to file a compliance affidavit, noting that a previous "last opportunity" had been given with a clear warning of costs for non-compliance.
Major Rajdeep Dinkar Pandere, hailing from Pune, joined the Indian Army on September 15, 2012, in a fit condition. He was part of the 4 Ladakh Scouts in Leh and served in various challenging postings over nearly a decade. His service ended on September 14, 2022.
While serving in June 2017, Major Pandere developed a medical condition known as cystitis cystica glandularis at the Delhi Cantonment Base Hospital, which required surgery. He was placed in a low medical category on September 19, 2017. Over the years, he underwent 24 surgeries and was assessed six times by Medical Boards. He also developed a kidney ailment, with a serum creatinine level of 1.13 mg/dl.
On September 2, 2022, the Release Medical Board at Western Command Hospital, Chandimandir, evaluated his disability at 15 percent for life but claimed it was "neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service," without providing specifics. His request for disability pension was denied on November 23, 2022.
Displeased with this, Major Pandere approached the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal. On October 10, 2024, the Tribunal determined that his disability was service-related, ordering it to be assessed at 40 percent based on serum creatinine levels, rounded to 50 percent for life per Supreme Court guidelines. The pension was to be effective from July 1, 2022.
The Tribunal criticized the Release Medical Board for its unclear assessment of the disability at 15 percent and the decision that it was not service-related at the time of his release.
The Union of India contested the Tribunal's decision at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. On July 28, 2025, a Division Bench dismissed the writ petition, affirming Major Pandere's entitlement to the disability pension. Later, on October 31, 2025, the High Court resolved Major Pandere's civil writ petition for the Tribunal's order implementation.
Despite these clear judicial instructions, military authorities did not issue the required sanction letter or Pension Payment Order, resulting in no payments being made even after several months. Major Pandere was thus compelled to file a contempt petition against Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, citing deliberate non-compliance.
During the hearings, petitioner’s counsel, Rajesh Sehgal, argued that despite ample time and explicit judicial orders, the respondents had neither filed a compliance affidavit nor released the due benefits.
On April 30, 2026, Justice Sudeepti Sharma noted that the court had previously given a final opportunity to the respondents to submit a compliance affidavit, with specific instructions that failing to do so would lead to a ₹2 lakh cost. Since no affidavit was filed, the court imposed the costs, directing the amount to be equally divided between the respondents and paid to the petitioner.
The order stated: “On the last date of hearing, last opportunity was granted to the respondents to file a compliance affidavit with a condition that in case of non-filing, a cost of Rs 2 lakh shall be imposed.”
This ruling emerges amid increasing scrutiny of delays in implementing disability pension orders by the Ministry of Defence. In a related case involving Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) SS Bhullar, the same High Court recently imposed ₹3 lakh in total costs on the Chief of the Army Staff, the Defence Secretary, and the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts for similar non-compliance.
These cases underscore systemic issues in processing and distributing veterans' entitlements, especially when medical boards assess disabilities as “neither attributable nor aggravated by service” without sufficient explanation, leading to extended legal battles.
Legal experts perceive the imposition of personal costs on top military and civilian defence officials as a firm message that courts will not tolerate bureaucratic inaction affecting the welfare of retired service members with service-related disabilities. The decision underscores that once a court has ruled on an entitlement, it must be implemented without unnecessary delay.
As of May 5, 2026, the Ministry of Defence and Army Headquarters have not issued any statement regarding the order or potential actions. The case continues to be listed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court for further compliance.
Major Pandere’s situation highlights the human cost of administrative delays and the judiciary's pivotal role in ensuring the rights of those who have served the country are upheld.
