In a significant relief to century-old freedom fighter Chakradhar Pradhan of Mayurbhanj, the Orissa High Court has ordered his release with arrears of pension benefits. Pradhan had applied for pension in 1988, claiming that he had participated in the freedom struggle and had been jailed in the 1940s, but his application was initially rejected due to lack of evidence.
Pradhan, who lived underground from September 1942 to October 1943, has also claimed that he was imprisoned in Baripada Central Jail in 1941-42. Despite submitting his petition, the state government rejected his request, saying that prisoners must have served at least six months or remain underground to be eligible.
After the case was brought to court in 2013, the High Court learned that prison records from the 1940s were no longer available. Chief Justice Shashikant Mishra ruled that it was unreasonable to expect clear evidence of Pradhan’s imprisonment after almost 80 years and directed to grant pension.