Kshama Devi v. State of U.P. and 3 Others

Court No. - 36 Case :- WRIT - A No. - 15428 of 2023 Petitioner :- Kshama Devi Respondent :- State Of U.P. And 3 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Atul Pandey,Dewarshi Kumar Rai Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C.,Kushmondeya Shahi Hon'ble Manjive Shukla,J.

¶1Heard learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, learned Standing Counsel appearing for the Respondent No. 1 and Sri Kushmondeya Shahi, learned counsel appearing for the Respondents No. 2 to 4 .

¶2Facts of the case, in brief, are that husband of the petitioner Sri Sanjay Kumar Pandey, who was working on the post of Assistant Teacher in Senior Basic School, Bahraicha, District Prayagraj is missing since 16.10.2018. Petitioner has lodged a missing report on 16.10.2018 in Police Station Kydganj, District Prayagraj.

¶3Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner has submitted that husband of the petitioner is missing since 16.10.2018 and, therefore, his death should be presumed and petitioner should be given death-cum-post retiral dues in terms of the provisions made in the Government order dated 20.03.1987.

¶4Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner has also invited attention of this court towards the various representations submitted by the petitioner whereby she has requested the District Basic Education Officer, Prayagraj to pay death-cum-post retiral benefits as her husband is missing since 16.10.2018.

¶5I have considered the provisions made in the Government orders dated 20.03.1987 and 13.4.2017, wherein, it has been categorically provided that if a report has been lodged with the police in respect of missing of a government servant and thereafter police has given report that inspite of its best efforts, whereabouts of the missing government servant could not be traced out then after six months from the date of missing of the said government servant, death-cum-post retiral dues can be released in favour of the legal heirs of the missing government servant.

¶6For ready reference, clause-4 of the Government order dated

13.4.2017 is extracted as under:- " 4-इस ससंबसंध मम ममुझझे यह कहनझे कका ननदझेश हहआ हहै नक ्ቚकरण पर सम्यक नविचकारोሲपरकान्त रकाज्य सरककार दकारका यह ननणरय ललियका गयका हहै नक यनद ककोई सरककाररी सझेविक / पमशनर / पकाररविकाररक पमशनर लिकापतका हको जकातका हहै तको उसकझे लिकापतका हकोनझे ककी ररपकोरर उसकझे पररविकार दकारका पमुललिस मम नदयझे जकानझे तथका पमुललिस सझे यह ररपकोरर ्ቚका्቎ हकोनझे पर नक समस्त ्ቚयकासोሲ कझे उपरकान्त भरी लिकापतका सरककाररी सझेविक / पमशनर / पकाररविकाररक पमशनर कका पतका नहरी चलि सकका, पमुललिस मम ररपकोरर दजर करकानझे ककी छछः मकाह ककी अविलध कझे उपरकान्त, उसकझे अविशझेष विझेतन / पकाररविकाररक पमशन / गझेच्यमुररी / अविककाश नकदरीकरण कका भमुगतकान शकासनकादझेश नदनकासंक 20 मकाचर, 1987 कझे्ቚ स्तर -2 मम उलझेलखित औपचकाररकतकाओसं कको पपूणर करनझे पर नकयका जका सकतका हहै"

¶7This court while noting down the provisions of the aforesaid Government orders dated 20.3.1987 and 13.4.2017 directed the learned Standing Counsel to take instructions from the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj about the status of the investigation regarding petitioner's husband. Commissioner of Police in his letter dated 16.11.2023 addressed to the learned Chief Standing Counsel, High Court, Allahabad has categorically stated that since 16.10.2018 police has continuously made efforts to trace the whereabouts of the petitioner's husband but till date he could not be traced out. Relevant portion of the letter dated

16.11.2023 is extracted as under:- "उलझेखिनरीय हहै नक उ्ሹ गमुमशमुदका व्यन्ሹ कझे तलिकाश कझे ्ቅ म मम स्थकानरीय थकानका पमुललिस दकारका सभरी सम्भवि सकाथरक ्ቚयकास नकयझे जकानझे कझे बकाद भरी उ्ሹ गमुमशमुदका व्यन्ሹ कझे सम्बन्ध मम अब तक ककी पमुललिस जकासंच सझे ककोई लिकाभ्ቚद जकानककाररी ्ቚककाश मम नहरी आई और न हरी उ्ሹ गमुमशमुदका व्यन्ሹ कको नदनकासंक 16.10.2018 सझे अब तक गमुमशमुदका कझे नकसरी पररजन अथविका नकसरी पररनचत नझे कहरी न दझेखिका हहै और न हरी कहरी गमुमशमुदका कको समुनका। उ्ሹ गमुमशमुदका व्यन्ሹ कझे ममृत्यमु कका ककोई सकाቌኚय पमुललिस जकासंच सझे अब तक उपलिब्ध नहरी हहै। ्ቚकरण मम उ्ሹ गमुमशमुदका ककी तलिकाश कझे ्ቅम मम पमुललिस उपकायमु्ሹ नगर, कनमश्नरझेर ्ቚयकागरकाज दकारका अपनझे आदझेश प्ቔ ससंख्यका - विकाचक/डरीसरीपरी - नगर - (ररीम गठन ससंजय कमुमकार पकाण्डझेय)/2023, नदनकासंक 15.11.2023 (छकायका्ቚनत ससंलिग्ऩ) कझे मकाध्यम सझे एक ररीम गनठत नकयका गयका तथका गनठत ररीम कको गमुमशमुदका ककी बरकामदगरी हझेतमु ससंगत ननदरश ननगरत नकयझे गयझे हहै।"

¶8On the other hand, learned Chief Standing Counsel as well as Sri Kushmondeya Shahi, learned counsel appearing for the Respondents No. 2 to 4 has submitted that since Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj has provided instructions to this court vide letter dated 16.11.2023, therefore, it would be in the fitness of things if a direction is issued by this court to District Basic Education Officer, Praygraj to consider the case of the petitioner and to pass appropriate order in terms of the provisions contained in the Government orders dated 20.3.1987 and 13.4.2017 and the instructions provided by the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj to learned Chief Standing Counsel, High Court, Allahabad vide his letter dated 16.11.2023.

¶9In view of the aforesaid submissions advanced by the learned counsels appearing for the parties, this writ petition is finally disposed of with a direction to Respondent No. 2 to consider the case of the petitioner for release of death-cum-post retiral dues of the husband of the petitioner and to pass appropriate order as per provisions made in Government orders dated 20.3.1987 and

13.4.2017 and letter dated 16.11.2023 written by the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj to learned Chief Standing Counsel Allahabad. Respondent No. 2 shall pass the order within two months from the date of service of copy of this order. Order Date :- 17.11.2023 n.u. High Court of Judicature at Allahabad