India, May 10 -- The dependent parents of a deceased, unmarried government employee are entitled to family pension, the Bombay high court has ruled.

"We sincerely believe that if dependent parents have to keep their mind, body and soul together, law must ensure that they receive pension for sustenance," said a division bench of justices Ravindra Ghuge and Ashwin Bhobe, while directing the Maharashtra government to clear the family pension proposal of a septuagenarian couple from Akola, who lost their son in 2008.

In their petition, Vasantrao Deshmukh, 75, and his wife Snehalata, 75, claimed they were denied family pension after their unmarried son died due to a snake bite while working at a tribal school in October 2008.

Two years late...