CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to pay ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh as well as special family pension to Bharati Satpathy, widow of a police constable, Satyabadi Dehury who died of Covid-19 while on ‘active line of duty’ on October 12, 2021.
The state Home department had rejected the widow’s application for grant of ex gratia and special family pension on July 7, 2022. She filed the petition challenging it on September 6, 2024.
Dehury died while undergoing treatment for Covid infection when he was posted in human resource management system (HRMS) section at the reserve police office in Angul.
Advocate Niranjan Singh, appearing on the widow’s behalf, claimed relief in form of ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh and special family pension under the Finance Department Resolution-2020.
State counsel Deepak Kumar Sahoo countered that the petitioner’s husband was never certified to be a Covid warrior when he was working in the reserve office at Angul and deployed in Covid-19 enforcement duty, hence she was not entitled for relief.
However, delivering judgment on December 6, the single judge bench of Justice KR Mohapatra held, “The petitioner’s husband was on active line of duty dealing with service records of the staff and officers of the reserve office which was controlling the Covid management duty, and was not on leave when he was diagnosed with Covid-19.
He might not be discharging duty in the field, but was dealing with service records and related works of the said staff and officers and other related works of the Covid management. The said duty made him vulnerable to Covid infection and ultimately took his life.”
In view of the above, the widow of Dehury is entitled to ex gratia of `50 lakh and special family pension, Justice Mohapatra ruled.
He directed the Angul SP and Director General of Police (L&O) as well as additional chief secretary Home department to ensure the benefits to the petitioner as expeditiously as possible preferably within a period of six months.