New Delhi, Feb. 26 -- The Delhi High Court on Thursday ruled that armed forces personnel cannot be denied disability pension merely because a disease is described as a "lifestyle disorder" or because it developed while posted at a peace station.

The Court observed that military service remains stressful even in non-operational areas and can contribute to serious health conditions.

A Division Bench of Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora set aside an order of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) that had rejected the disability pension claim of a retired Indian Air Force officer suffering from primary hypertension and coronary artery disease.

The Court stressed that it does not matter whether an illness develops in a...