New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it is ‘pathetic’ that some retired High Court judges are getting a pension of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. Justice BR Gavai and Justice K.V. Vishwanathan’s bench said, ‘You cannot adopt a legal approach in every case. Sometimes you need to take a humanitarian approach.
Noting that some retired high court judges were getting a pension of between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000, the bench said, ‘This is pathetic.’ A petition related to pension of retired High Court judges was listed for hearing before the bench on Wednesday. Attorney General R. Venkataramani mentioned the matter before the bench and requested that it be heard in January.
Venkataramani said the government will try to resolve the issue. The bench said, ‘It would be better if you explain to them (the government) that it is better to avoid our interference (in this matter).’ The bench said that the case will not be decided on the basis of individual cases and whatever order the apex court passes will be applicable to all high court judges.
The bench fixed January 8 for the next hearing of the case. Last month, while hearing a petition in this matter, the top court had expressed surprise that some retired high court judges were getting a paltry pension of between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000. The bench was hearing a petition filed by a retired high court judge. The judge had said that he was getting a pension of Rs 15,000.
The petitioner was elevated as a judge of the Allahabad High Court after serving as a judicial officer in the district court for 13 years. He claimed that the authorities had refused to consider his judicial service while calculating his pension. The bench had said, ‘We have before us retired judges of the High Court, who are getting pension of Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000, which is shocking. How can this be possible?’
