Jodhpur, Oct 31: Justice Farzand Ali of the Jodhpur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court has directed Ajmer Discom to deduct Rs. 20,000 every month from the salary of Shashi Kumari and deposit it into the bank account of her Father In Law Bhagwan Singh.
The deduction will start from 1st Nov 2025 and will continue till Bhagwan Singh is alive.
Pertinent to mention here that son of Bhagwan Singh from Alwar was working as a Technical Assistant with Ajmer Discom and he died during service in Sep 2015. After his death, the department offered a job to Bhagwan Singh under compassionate appointment but out of generosity he voluntarily recommended that this compassionate appointment be given to his Daughter In Law Shashi Kumari instead of him.
Following this recommendation, Ajmer Discom appointed Shashi Kumari to the post of LDC on compassionate grounds. At the time of appointment, Shashi Kumari had given an affidavit and promised that:
1. She will live with her In Laws and will support them. 2. She will take full responsibility for their welfare. 3. She will not remarry. But Shashi never fulfilled her promises and left the house of her In Laws just few days after getting the job.
The High Court observed that the Compassionate appointment is a welfare measure and not a mode of employment. It is not a vested right, but an act of grace done to alleviate the financial hardship of the family of the deceased government employee.
The Court clarified that Shashi Kumari did not receive this appointment based on her individual merit, ability, or eligibility. No advertisement was issued, no competitive selection took place, nor did she appear for any written examination or interview.
This was an act of compassion by the state to protect and assist the dependents of its deceased employees.
The Court further added that the Family word does not only means widow of the deceased not only for the widow but It includes all those who were dependent on the deceased employee, such as parents, wife, and children as all of them together form a joint family unit.
The Court stated that when a member of such a family is granted the benefit of compassionate appointment, it is not given in an individual capacity but as a representative of the entire family.
Therefore, it comes with the moral and legal responsibility to protect the interests of other surviving dependents and ensure their maintenance.
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