HC orders Odisha to grant pension with arrears to 100-year-old freedom fighter
In a significant relief to Chakradhar Pradhan, a centenarian freedom fighter from Mayurbhanj, the Orissa High Court has ordered the release of his pension benefits with arrears. Pradhan had applied for the pension in 1988, claiming he participated in the freedom struggle and was imprisoned during the 1940s, but his application was initially rejected due to lack of proof.
Pradhan, who had remained underground from September 1942 to October 1943, also claimed to have been incarcerated in Baripada Central Jail in 1941-42. Despite submitting his application, the state government denied his request, stating that prisoners must have served a minimum of six months or remained underground for the same duration to qualify.
After the case was brought to court in 2013, the High Court learned that prison records from the 1940s were no longer available. Justice Sashikanta Mishra ruled that it was unreasonable to expect clear proof of Pradhan’s incarceration after nearly 80 years, and directed that his pension be granted.