Supreme Court Upholds High Court's Decision on Disability Pension for Retired Colonel

Disability pension granted to Colonel (Retd.) Harinder Pal Singh on the principle of notional extension of employment.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the High Court's ruling that granted disability pension to Colonel (Retd.) Harinder Pal Singh. The judgment was delivered on December 11, 2025, by a bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan in Civil Appeal No. 13975 of 2015.

The case involves the Union of India and others as appellants, challenging the High Court's decision to award disability pension to the retired military personnel. The High Court had previously ruled in favor of Colonel Singh, applying the principle of notional extension of employment for injuries he sustained during his service.

The Supreme Court, after hearing arguments from both sides, found no merit in the appeal and decided not to interfere with the High Court's order dated July 23, 2014. The bench concluded that the High Court's application of the principle was appropriate and dismissed the civil appeal, thereby affirming the decision to grant the pension.

Colonel Singh's legal representation was led by Advocates Ms. Kanti and Ms. Shiwani Tushir, while the appellants were represented by a team of advocates including Mrs. Aishwarya Bhati, Additional Solicitor General, Mr. Anirudh Singh, and others.

This judgment is significant as it reinforces the legal framework supporting retired military personnel's rights to disability pensions under circumstances where injuries are sustained during active duty, even post-retirement, under the concept of notional extension of employment. The Supreme Court's dismissal of the appeal sets a precedent for similar cases, providing clarity and certainty to military law regarding the entitlement of benefits for service-related disabilities.

Bottom Line:

Disability pension granted to retired military personnel on the principle of notional extension of employment upheld by the Supreme Court.

Statutory provision(s): Military Law, Disability Pension, Notional Extension of Employment

Union of India v. Colonel(Retd.) Harinder Pal Singh, (SC) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2824810