PRAYAGRAJ, Nov. 29 -- : The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday expressed strong concern over the plight of a widow of a 1971 war martyr who moved the High Court claiming that she had been allotted only 2.5 bighas of land against her entitlement of 5 bighas and has been struggling since 1974 to receive her due.

The court directed the state government to take all steps to ensure that the widow's claim could be settled at the earliest.

The bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anish Kumar Gupta said that if the claims stated in her petition are correct, the situation reflects a "shocking testimony of the state of affairs of the entire society".

The Bench observed "This is the case where a widow of a martyr of 1971 war who is...