Fake freedom fighters invite Supreme Court anguish

Steeped in the spirit of idealism, many freedom fighters refused to claim pension and other benefits provided by the government.

They felt this would amount to putting a premium on their patriotism. Decades on, governments across the country are grappling with swarms of impersonators claiming benefits as freedom fighters.  

The Supreme Court recently struck down the benefits availed by such a freedom fighter and slammed the government for complacency in such matters, saying “bogus claims under any scheme would encourage bogus claims under all schemes by undeserving candidates who are well connected and influential’’.

Choudhari Nayak, claimed to be a freedom fighter and said he was imprisoned for seven month in Orissa’s Balasore jail in 1943. He managed to draw Rs12,400 as pension meant for pre-1947 patriots.

The Orissa government had raised questions over his claim and the matter had landed in the apex court. Nayak died when the litigation was on. After his death, his widow or daughters were entitled to the pension.

Nayak, a former head master, had mentioned his year of birth as 1928. But in the documents relating to his imprisonment he put it as 1923. Also, the government had noticed fabrication of jail documents to bolster his case.

“False claimants walking away with the benefits meant for genuine and deserving candidates has become the bane of several welfare schemes,’’ a bench of justices RV Raveendran and HL Gokhale said.

The judges expressed concern over the bogus claims of the fake fighters, saying many freedom fighters even refused to receive such pension on patriotic grounds. They said that many claimants have taken undue advantage of the court’s direction earlier that the government shouldn’t be rigid or technical in considering the applications by revered freedom fighters.