#railway pension rules

The Gauhati High Court has ruled that a second wife married during the subsistence of a valid first marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act is not entitled to family pension, as her marriage is void ab initio. However, her minor son retains an independent right to a proportionate share of the pension under Railway Pension Rules, affirming that dependant benefits for children are not contingent on the legality of parental marriage.

CAT Ernakulam ruled that a retired railway employee cannot be denied leave encashment due to administrative errors in service records, upholding the principle of legitimate expectation. The tribunal emphasized that certified pay slips and grievance records must prevail over retrospective corrections, protecting employees from bureaucratic oversights.

CAT holds that withholding retirement gratuity for unvacated railway quarters is invalid if the accommodation was condemned and uninhabitable; damage rent limited to last meter reading.