On 26 March 2026, the Bombay High Court ruled in Kiran Rajaram Jadhav v. EPFO that an employee cannot be denied higher pension solely because the employer failed to produce Form 6A or contribution challans. Here's exactly what the court held, and the limits of what that means for other members.
Last reviewed: 16 August 2026 · Primary source: Kiran Rajaram Jadhav v. EPFO, Bombay HC, 26 Mar 2026 (IndianKanoon)
The key facts of the case, as reported.
Kiran Rajaram Jadhav, a Pharmacist at Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited for roughly 37 years, from May 1987 to his superannuation in January 2024.
EPFO rejected his higher-pension application on 28 March 2025, citing unavailable Form 6A and monthly challans, which made it impossible to verify his higher-wage contributions.
The Bombay High Court found EPFO's approach unduly rigid, observing that Form 6A is a statutory record maintained by the employer, and an employee ordinarily has no access to or control over it.
The Court remanded the matter for fresh consideration, directing EPFO to verify the claim using other available materials such as Form 3A and EPF account statements, to be completed within 8 weeks.
Follow this in order — skipping ahead usually costs more time, not less.
EPFO cannot reject a higher-pension application purely because the employer didn't file Form 6A or challans, if the entitlement can otherwise be verified.
This is a court ruling on how EPFO must handle a specific fact pattern, not a new policy or a general reopening of higher-pension applications.
Outcomes still depend on your specific rejection reason and what alternate records (Form 3A, EPF statements, salary slips) you can produce.
The ruling directs EPFO in this specific case; using it for your own case means filing your own representation citing the ruling and your own evidence.
See our dedicated guide on missing employer records for the step-by-step representation route.
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