The Kerala High Court has ruled that a soldier is entitled to disability pension even if he opts for voluntary discharge, provided the disability was caused or worsened by military service. B. Manikuttan, a Havildar from Mavelikara, served in the Army since 1986. He was healthy on enlistment but developed bronchial asthma after being posted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1994. As his asthma worsened, the medical board recommended his release. Manikuttan sought voluntary discharge but was denied disability pension because of this. Challenging this, the High Court bench of Justice K. Natarajan and Justice Johnson John upheld his claim. They noted that bronchial asthma is a chronic condition and agreed with the medical board's finding that the disability was aggravated by service. The court ordered authorities to pay Manikuttan the disability pension arrears within three months. The Release Medical Board had assessed his disability at 20%. This sets a key precedent for soldiers with service-related chronic disabilities who leave voluntarily.