Tripura Government Loses in Supreme Court too Over Pension and Gratuity Denial to Retired Science & Technology Officer Natraj Dutta
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, June 24, 2025
In a significant legal setback for the Tripura government, the Supreme Court has dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Tripura State Council for Science and Technology, thereby upholding earlier rulings that directed the release of all retirement benefits to Natraj Dutta, a retired Chief Scientific Officer of the department.
Dutta, who retired on October 31, 2019, was allegedly denied his rightful pension, gratuity, and encashment of earned leave. The denial was reportedly based on two departmental proceedings initiated just before his retirement, which were later found to be based on false allegations.
On January 8, 2024, a single bench, Justice S Talapatra of the Tripura High Court ruled in favor of Natraj Dutta and directed the authorities to release all pending retirement benefits. The department, however, challenged the order in the High Court’s Division Bench. On May 15, 2024, Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Arindam Lodh dismissed the appeal and upheld the earlier ruling.
Despite two consecutive defeats in the High Court, the Science and Technology Department pursued the case further by filing an SLP in the Supreme Court. According to reports, large amounts of public money were spent by the Tripura government in this legal battle. Secretary of the department, Shailendra Singh, IFS has been accused of submitting misleading affidavits in both the High Court and Supreme Court in a bid to block Dutta's pension.
Ultimately, on April 17, 2025, the Hon’ble Supreme Court dismissed the SLP, putting an end to the department’s prolonged attempt to withhold the retired officer’s dues. The decision was formally communicated to Dutta’s counsel, Advocate Kaushik Nath, via letter on June 20, 2025, along with a copy of the Supreme Court’s order.
The case has drawn criticism for the persistent efforts by the department to deny a retired official his lawful dues, despite repeated court directions.
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