Chennai: The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Chennai, has directed the Army to provide disability pension to a personnel sacked from service for erratic behaviour six years ago. The tribunal later modified the punishment as one of discharge from service.
The petitioner, Adinarayana Pandaram of Srikalahasti, Chittoor district (Andhra Pradesh) submitted high altitude postings resulted in his poor physical and mental condition. While serving in Leh, he suffered seizure. The Medical Board held in July 2005 placed him in low medical category and the board held that the disability was aggravated by military service.
Further, in February 2008, the board found that he suffering also from Alcohol Dependence Syndrome. According to him due to the disabilities, his behaviour became erratic, which resulted in receiving punishment for intoxication and absence without leave. Finally, the MEG Centre, Bangalore, dismissed him in 2010.
In its reply the Army submitted he indulged in various unwanted activities like absenting himself without leave, overstaying of leave and intoxication. In August, last year, while ordering the authorities to convene Release Medical Board to assess his disability and to grant him disability pension, the Bench said “We are inclined to agree with the applicant that the punishment of dismissal from service is unduly harsh considering the circumstances and the medical condition of the applicant. We, therefore, substitute the punishment of ‘dismissal from service’ to one of ‘discharge from service’. The bench directed the authorities to convene a Release Medical Board for the applicant at Military Hospital, Secunderabad in a month.
When the matter came up for hearing before a Circuit Bench at Hyderabad comprising its Judicial Member Justice S.S. Satheesachandran and Administrative Member Lt Gen K. Surendra Nath, the authorities submitted the report of the Release Medical Board and its opinion.
