Joshni Jeswara @ Krishna Ghosh v. the State of West Bengal and Ors.
Case brief
What is this about?
Family pension claim by widow facing identity discrepancy; writ petitioner Joshni Jeswara aka Krishna Ghosh claims to be wife of deceased Antu Jeswara aka Sukumar Ghosh, retired Calcutta Dock Labour Board employee; SBI Kidderpore Dock Yard Area Branch pension account active (balance Rs. 55,489.42; last pension Rs. 11,350/- July 2022; recovery Rs. 17,403/-); Aadhaar rectified 27 November 2020; Court (Arindam Mukherjee, J., 08.08.2024) held identity discrepancy not authoritatively resolvable in writ jurisdiction; disposed WPA 11223 of 2024 with directions for personal hearing by Chief Accounts Officer, CDLB with SBI Branch Manager, document comparison, police/Vigilance assistance option, four-month deadline, recommendation or rejection of family pension.
What did the court decide?
No direct grant of family pension; the petition was disposed of with directions to the Chief Accounts Officer/Chief Accounts Officer-in-Charge, Calcutta Dock Labour Board to verify the petitioner's identity through a personal hearing (with the SBI Kidderpore Dock Yard Area Branch Manager present) within four months, with liberty to seek police or Vigilance assistance, and thereafter to recommend issuance of family pension upon confirmation of identity, or record findings and reject the claim otherwise.