C. VENKAT REDDY vs UNION OF INDIA .

The Supreme Court, in Writ Petition (C) No. 403 of 2006, held that the denial of freedom fighters' pension under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1983, without valid reasons, is unjust. The Court emphasized the need for genuine claims to be honored, referencing the objectives of the scheme as established in Mukundlal Bhandari v. Union of India (AIR 1993 SC 2127) and Gurdial Singh v. Union of India (2001 AIR SCW 3843). The Court directed that 22 petitioners, found to be genuine freedom fighters, should receive their pensions effective from 1.4.2002, reinforcing the principle that only those who genuinely contributed to the freedom struggle are entitled to benefits under the scheme.