Punjab & Haryana High Court Affirms Army Officer's Heart Attack on Leave Linked to Service Stress

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a significant judgment, determining that the death of an Army officer who suffered a heart attack while on annual leave is attributable to military service. The court highlighted that cardiac arrests often arise from the prolonged stress associated with military duties.

A petition by the Union of India, which sought to overturn a March 2023 order from the Chandigarh Armed Forces Tribunal’s Regional Bench, was dismissed by the Bench comprising Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi and Justice Vikas Suri. The tribunal had previously ruled that the officer’s death was related to his service.

The officer, who had a decade-long career in the Army, began his 15-day annual leave on April 9, 2007. Merely two days into his leave, on April 11, he succumbed to a heart attack. Initially, a Court of Inquiry had determined that his death was not linked to service since it occurred during his leave period.

The Union of India contended that the heart attack, having occurred while the officer was on leave, should not be connected to his military duties.

However, the High Court countered this argument by emphasizing that heart attacks are a result of accumulated stress rather than isolated incidents. The Bench stated, “For 10 years, he was serving the Army… the stress and strain related to his job profile were responsible for the death.”

The court referenced the precedent set in “Union of India vs Dharambir Singh,” which requires that deaths occurring during leave be examined for their connection to military service.

In its verdict, the Bench concluded that since the officer was deemed medically fit at the time of recruitment and had no previously diagnosed heart conditions, his death was a consequence of service-related stress. The Bench declared, “In the absence of any perversity being pointed out… no ground is made out for interference,” thereby dismissing the Union of India’s appeal.

This ruling underscores the continued relevance of service-related stress even during periods of leave, safeguarding the rights of military personnel’s families in cases involving death due to cardiac or stress-induced incidents.