The Bombay High Court on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Defence. This is on a petition by Jyothibai Shriram Naik, mother of Agniveer Murali Naik. Murali died in cross-border shelling in Jammu & Kashmir during Operation Sindoor. The petition challenges the denial of full death benefits to families of Agniveers, unlike regular soldiers. A Division Bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe asked the Centre to reply by January 15, 2026. The hearing is set for the same day. Advocate Prakash Ambedkar, with Hitendra Gandhi and Sandesh More, appeared for the petitioner. The plea says the Agnipath scheme makes an “arbitrary and unreasonable” gap between Agniveers and regular soldiers. It calls this distinction “discriminatory” since Agniveers face the same duties and risks but get fewer benefits. Murali Naik joined the Army under Agnipath in June 2023. He was killed on May 9, 2025, during heavy artillery attacks by the Pakistan Army in Poonch. This was part of Operation Sindoor, a response to the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 people. The petition states families of martyred Agniveers get about ₹1 crore as ex-gratia. But they are denied regular pensions and other long-term benefits that families of regular soldiers receive. It asks the court to order equal death benefits, pensions, and welfare for families of all soldiers who die in duty, including Agniveers. The plea clarifies it doesn’t question the entire Agnipath scheme but says this classification breaches fundamental rights. The plea quotes Ms. Naik: “My son wore the same uniform, took the same oath, and faced the same dangers as any regular soldier. Yet, because of the terms of the Agnipath scheme, his supreme sacrifice is not recognised with the dignity, honor, and security that the family of a martyred soldier is supposed to receive.” The Agnipath scheme, launched in 2022, recruits youth aged 17.5 to 21 for four years in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. After four years, 25% may be retained for up to 15 more years.