LIC PENSIONERS CHRONICLE

With every Court pronouncement we “inched” nearer to victory. 

 LIC’s SLPs were dismissed but it was given an escape 

route to file fresh SLP...  What prevented the Hon’ble Judges to

 draw final curtain over 12 year long Court Case. Should 
we assume that our legal system is such which delivers 
justice in piece-meal and that too not conclusively,  asks Shri SOOD.

Sri M. Sreenivasa Murty’s analysis of our case for updation of pension and removal of DA anomaly and Sri Asthana's enlightened reply will go a long way in putting to rest any doubt which may be lingering in the mind of the pensioners. Their’s is a convincing attempt to educate us and give us confidence that our case has solid foundation with Justice Bhandari’s historical judgement in our favour which has not been stayed by the Supreme Court.

LIC, no doubt, exercised every right to defend itself right upto the Apex Court – though it was unethical on its part to demand burial of its own Board’s Resolution. LIC lost its case comprehensively when the SLPs filed by it were dismissed and the valiant battle fought by Sh. Asthana should have come to an end. But alas ! justice still eluded us. We can say so because with every Court pronouncement we “inched” nearer to victory. So should we assume that our legal system is such which delivers justice in piece-meal and that too not conclusively.  LIC’s SLPs were dismissed but it was given an escape route to file fresh SLP and the Hon’ble Apex Court not only condoned abnormal delay but also converted it into Civil Writs which we are told are insignificant. Then what prevented the Hon’ble Judges to draw final curtain over 12 year long Court Case which concerns super senior citizen in the age group of 70 and above. Every other day we pay homage to our colleagues who leave this mortal world carrying with them their unfulfilled hope for justice.

In this context, it would be pertinent to refer to an article in today's (Dt. 14th Oct.) Hindustan Times "Retribution, not Justice" by Mr. Harsh Mander. It deals with some of the cases where death sentence has been upheld by the Hon'ble SC or reduced to Life Imprisonment - as has been done recently in the infamous Tandoor Case where a politician was sentenced to death for burning his wife - now converted into life imprisonment. I am quoting some relevant conclusions from this article: 

(1) There is a class bias in awarding death sentence; 

(2) I (author) am convinced that his (person named Barela who was awarded death sentence) fate could have been different if he was represented by a high profile lawyer; 

(3) If only Barela's family could have afforded effective legal representation....sentence could have been less severe.

We the hapless pensioners are fighting against a monolithic financial Organization which has the audacity to engage the services of High Profile Lawyers – and they have not disappointed their client. 

On my part it would be wrong to say that so far justice has not been delivered to us thro' Sh. Asthana's long fight.......and we are confident that the Courts will be guided by the Law Book and not influenced by the High Profile Organization or its battery of eminent lawyers.