India, March 9 -- The Bombay High Court on February 23 has directed the Maharashtra government to pay Rs.50 lakh compensation to the widow of a peon employed with the Commissioner of Sales Tax, who died after contracting Covid-19 while on duty during the pandemic.

A division bench of Justices M.S. Karnik and S.M. Modak held that the employee was covered under a May 29, 2020 government resolution providing insurance cover or ex-gratia assistance to government staff who died due to Covid while performing duties.

The petitioner, Shusha Shinde, had approached the high court in 2024 after tax authorities rejected her claim under the scheme. Her husband had been called for duty during the pandemic and died on June 26, 2020.

The state contend...