My brother, a brave soldier, lost his life in June 2016 while serving on duty at the Arunachal Pradesh border. He succumbed to HACO. His unit filed a claim for battle casualty, but the Army headquarters and Ministry of Defence rejected it, stating such claims are only valid for soldiers serving in the Siachen region.

Under Indian law, battle casualty benefits are not limited to soldiers serving in the Siachen region. Your brother’s death while on active duty at the Arunachal Pradesh border, which is a recognized operational area, qualifies for battle casualty benefits. The rejection of your claim based on location is legally incorrect.