HC asks Pilibhit DM to probe into payment of pension for anti-emergency activists to 'criminals'

The Allahabad High Court Thursday asked Pilibhit's district magistrate to probe into the veracity of a claim that many alleged criminals and convicts in the district were receiving pensions meant for political activists jailed during Emergency.

A bench of Justice A P Sahi and Ajit Kumar directed the district magistrate to apprise it of the findings of his probe on a personal affidavit within six weeks.

The bench issued the direction on a lawsuit filed by one Ashok Kumar and several others on behalf of 'Loktantra Rakshak Senani Sangathan'.

The lawsuit alleged that the district adminstration was paying the Loktantra Senani pension worth Rs 20,000 per month to at least 23 alleged criminals lodged in district jail.

The petitioners said the 'Loktantra Senani' pension was started by erstwhile Samajwadi Party government in 2006, but was discontinued during the subsequent Bahujan Samaj Party government.

They said the pension was restarted by the Smajwadi Party government in 2016, while the present BJP government in the state hiked its amount to Rs 20,000 from Rs 15,000 in June this year.