JULY 11: The state government today informed the Bombay High Court that `bogus' claims of freedom fighters for monthly pension had been rejected.The state government's response was to a query, during the last hearing, put by Justice A V Sawant as to the delay in the scrutiny of freedom fighters' applications.

Advocate General C J Sawant today said around 30,000 applications from freedom fighters are pending before the freedom fighters' high-power committee. The committee was set up under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi to scrutinise such claims, deputy secretary Vankhede disclosed in an affidavit before a division bench.

The bench was hearing a group of writ petitions filed by aggrieved freedom fighters challenging rejection of their claims for pension.

Assuring the court today that the government did not intend to deprive the freedom fighters from getting pension, Advocate General C J Sawant disclosed that several irregularities had come to light while scrutinising the claims.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.