The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Bombay): The Bombay High Court has sharply criticized the Maharashtra government for its refusal to grant Rs 50 lakh compensation to Sudhakar Pawar, the widower of Anita Rathod Pawar, a nurse who succumbed to COVID-19 contracted while treating patients. Justices Girish Kulkarni and Firdosh Pooniwalla condemned the government’s insensitivity in handling the compensation claim, which they found was dismissed without proper deliberation.
During a court session on Wednesday, Justice Kulkarni highlighted the critical role played by the deceased, who was actively involved in the COVID-19 response at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune. He stressed that such cases should be treated with utmost sensitivity, given the sacrifices made by healthcare workers like Mrs. Pawar, who died in April 2020 at the pandemic’s peak.
The state government had previously introduced a Rs 50 lakh personal accident cover in May 2020 for employees engaged in pandemic-related duties. However, Mr. Pawar’s claim was denied on grounds that his wife had pre-existing health issues, a point he contested with medical reports from the hospital confirming her health was stable before contracting the virus.
After reviewing the medical report from Sassoon hospital, the bench indicated that the petitioner appeared prima facie entitled to the compensation. The court has now directed the Maharashtra government to submit an affidavit explaining why the decision to reject Mr. Pawar’s compensation claim should not be overturned.
The case is set to be heard again in two weeks, as the court seeks further justification from the state government for its decision amidst ongoing scrutiny over its treatment of frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic.