Mother of Slain Agniveer Moves Bombay High Court for Equal Death Benefits

Overview

• Petitioner Jyotibai Naik filed a writ on November 26 seeking pensions, institutional recognition, and long‑term welfare for families of Agniveers who die in service.
• Her son, Agniveer Murali Naik, was killed on May 9 in Poonch during cross‑border shelling linked to Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack.
• The petition says Agniveer families get about ₹1 crore in combined ex‑gratia and insurance but are denied regular family pension, lifelong healthcare, and other institutional support granted to regular soldiers’ families.
• The filing contends Agniveers perform identical duties and face the same risks as regular soldiers, so the benefits distinction lacks an intelligible differentia and violates constitutional guarantees.
• Filed through advocates Sandesh More, Hemant Ghadigaonkar, and Hitendra Gandhi, the case does not seek to strike down the scheme in full and is expected to be listed before a division bench after earlier representations allegedly went unanswered.