Freedom fighter's 92-year-old widow moves Karnataka High Court challenging halt of pension

A 92-year-old widow has approached the Karnataka High Court after the freedom fighter's pension she was being paid by the government of India to honour her late freedom fighter husband's contributions was halted in 2019 [Sonnamma v Government of India].

Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum on Wednesday sought a response from the Central government, State government, and the Union Bank of India in the matter.

During yesterday's hearing, the State's counsel told the Court that the State government has continued to disburse its share of the pension, and that non-payment of pension was by the Central government.

Appearing for the petitioner (widow), Advocate Srinivasa K submitted that her husband, G Ramaiah, was a freedom fighter who recieved the Tamra Patra award in 1972.

In 1973, the government of India sanctioned a freedom fighter's pension to be paid to honour him. Following the freedom fighter's death in 2000, the pension continued being paid to his wife as a family pension.

The petitioner added that she received both Central and State pensions regularly until February 2019. However, while the State pension payments continued, the Central pension payments were abruptly stopped from March 2019 without any formal order or communication.

The petition further said that despite repeated representations, no effective steps were taken to restore the pension

According to the widow's plea, in July 2019, the District Treasury Officer reported that the freedom fighter's pension book had been lost and requested a duplicate.

Between 2019 and 2022, officials from the government and Union Bank exchanged various communications on the issue, but failed to release the pension.

In September 2025, the government of India responded to a legal notice by directing the bank to release the pension.

After the Union Bank of India failed to take steps to credit the arrears of the freedom fighter's family pension to his widow's account, she moved the Karnataka High Court for relief.

In her plea, the petitioner added she is bedridden and has no dependents to rely upon, while seeking directions to restore the payment of her Central government pension.