SUSHMA SINGH Vs. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is aggrieved by the judgment dated 21.09.2017 passed by the learned Central Administrative Tribunal (in short 'the Tribunal') dismissing her original application praying inter alia for issuing directions to the respondents/Director General, All India Radio, Prasar Bharti to release the entire death benefits to her on the demise of her husband, late Jagvir Singh.

(2.) By the impugned judgment, the Tribunal has dismissed the original application filed by the petitioner, with the observations that in view of the fact that late Jagvir Singh, the deceased husband of the petitioner, had filled up Form-3 on 15.7.2015, giving details of his family, as prescribed in sub-Rule 12(a)(i) of Rule 54 of CCS (Pension) Rules and declaring inter alia his parents and his son Kalpit Singh, as his family members, upon his expiry on 08.1.2016, his estranged wife, (the present petitioner) could not claim entitlement to family pension.

(3.) Briefly narrated, the facts of the case are that late Jagvir Singh was employed with All India Radio and had died in harness on 08.01.2016. He had got married to the petitioner on 16.06.1985 and they had two offspring from the said marriage namely, Shri Kushagra Singh and Shri Kalpit Singh. Pertinently, Mr. Kalpit Singh is physically challenged and suffers from a disability to the extent of 80%.