Maharashtra Government Agrees to Grant Rs 1 Crore Benefits to Late Major Anuj Sood's Family After Bombay High Court Intervention

Major Anuj Sood lost his life in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2020. On Wednesday, the state government informed the Bombay High Court that it has granted the benefits to Major Sood's family as per the state government's GR.

After receiving a strong warning from the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra government has changed its decision about providing financial aid to the family of Major Anuj Sood, an Army hero who died in service. Advocate General Birendra Saraf told the court that the government will now give nearly ₹1 crore in financial support to the family, along with a monthly allowance of ₹9,000 to Major Sood's widow, Aakriti Sood.

A division bench consisting of Justice GS Kulkarni and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla listened to a plea from Aakriti Sood, whose husband lost his life while saving civilian hostages from terrorist hideouts in Kupwara, Kashmir, on May 2, 2020. Major Sood was posthumously honored with the Shaurya Chakra for his bravery.

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Initially, the state government mentioned procedural difficulties due to ongoing elections as the reason for not making an exception for Sood's domicile status. However, unhappy with this response, the high court instructed the government to present a statement clarifying its stance and criticized its decision.

In reply, Saraf informed the court that the government, through a resolution dated April 15, 2024, has agreed to give an ex-gratia sum of ₹60 lakh to Aakriti Sood and ₹40 lakh to Chandrakant Sood, Major Sood's father. Moreover, Aakriti will receive a monthly allowance of ₹9,000 under the state's Gaurav Puraskar Yojana. The total amount of ₹1 crore will be sourced from various government funds, with an emphasis that this decision should not be considered a precedent but was taken due to humanitarian reasons.

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The bench praised the government's revised decision and Aakriti's efforts to secure financial aid and Shaurya Chakra benefits for her husband, noting his wish to live in Maharashtra. Initially, the state had challenged her claim, pointing out Major Sood's roots in Himachal Pradesh and residence in Haryana, which did not meet Maharashtra's domicile criteria of at least 15 years of residency or being born in the state.

Aakriti Singh's lawyer, speaking to CNBTV18, stated, "We have succeeded. Today, the state government informed the court that they have granted the benefits to Aakriti and her family under both GRs. The state government has issued a GR regarding the same. Yesterday, the District Sainik Board also approached Aakriti and informed her that her request was being processed. The court appreciated the Maharashtra government's stance."