CHANDIGARH, JAN 12: The Armed Forces Tribunal has held that the death of a soldier cannot be attributed solely to alcohol consumption when service conditions and demanding postings are involved. The court has directed the Air Force to provide a special family pension to the widow of Corporal Jaswindra Singh, who died following a posting to a hill station.
The legal battle began after pension authorities claimed the airman’s death was not related to his military service, pointing instead to his history of alcohol use. However, evidence showed that the airman had informed his superiors of his illness and sought to be excused from the move to Kurseong. His plea was declined, and he was sent to the station where he eventually collapsed and died in a hospital.
“It is abundantly clear that the petitioner’s husband has passed away in performance of the bonafide official duty,” the bench ruled. The Tribunal criticized the authorities for ignoring the impact of moving from a low-lying area like Purnia to a higher elevation, emphasizing that the physical toll of military movements is a significant factor in such medical emergencies.
The bench concluded that the official stance was flawed, as it failed to recognize the link between the airman’s duties and his fatal haemorrhage. By granting the pension, the Tribunal reaffirmed that the state must look beyond a soldier’s personal habits to account for the rigors and stresses inherent in military life and duty-related travel.
