Court says eligible retired personnel cannot be denied promised reward compensation benefits anymore.
BENGALURU
The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government and the Forest Department to release compensation and reward amounts within three months to 72 personnel who were part of the Special Task Force (STF) involved in operations against forest brigand Veerappan.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order on April 21 while hearing a petition filed by retired forest guard S Srinivas and others who had participated in the long-running operation to capture Veerappan.
The court directed authorities to immediately distribute the reward amount to all beneficiaries listed as eligible under the government order dated July 8, 2005. The bench observed that the petitioners had actively participated in the STF mission and their names were included in the official records maintained by the government.
The court held that the petitioners were entitled to the same benefits as others who had already received compensation earlier and stated that denying them the reward amount would amount to continuing an irregularity that had already been corrected through judicial intervention.
Justice Magadum noted that once relief had been granted by the court in similar cases, it became the constitutional responsibility of the government and competent authorities to extend the same benefits to all similarly placed personnel without forcing each individual to approach the court separately.
The bench also referred to an earlier order passed by another division bench of the High Court on August 12, 2024, directing compensation to 17 other personnel involved in the operation. The court observed that there could be no discrimination between those beneficiaries and the present petitioners.
During earlier hearings, the High Court had expressed displeasure over the government’s decision to restrict compensation to only a few personnel despite the fact that the anti-Veerappan operation had continued for several years and involved the efforts of numerous officers and staff members.
The court had further remarked that promises made by a sovereign government carry significance and should not be broken. It emphasised that Veerappan was not captured or neutralised by a handful of personnel in a single day, but through years of coordinated intelligence gathering, risky field operations and sustained efforts by many STF members who risked their lives during the mission.
The order is expected to benefit several retired personnel who had long awaited recognition and financial compensation for their role in one of the country’s most extensive anti-bandit operations.