Delhi Cabinet nod for ex gratia of Rs 1 cr to families of six personnel

The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to pay Rs 1 crore compensation each to the families of six IAF, Delhi Police and civil defence personnel who died in the line of duty.

The Delhi government said it stands with the families of all paramilitary, army, police and civil defence personnel residing in the city.

"The Kejriwal government will give a 'Samman Rashi' of Rs 1 crore each to the families of six bravehearts of Delhi who lost their lives in the line of duty. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Delhi Cabinet regarding the grant of the ex gratia to the families," the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.

The revenue department proposed to provide the compensation amount, which was approved by the cabinet on the instructions of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

People of Delhi who lost their lives in the line of duty cannot be compensated, but their families will get some help from the amount given by the government to honour their sacrifices, he said.

The six men include three from the Indian Air Force (IAF), two from the Delhi Police and one from the city's Civil Defence wing.

Kejriwal had in June lauded them and said he saluted these bravehearts for making the supreme sacrifice while guarding the country from "external or internal threats".

His deputy Manish Sisodia while announcing the government's decision in June had said that the Kejriwal government stood "shoulder-to-shoulder with the families" of these bravehearts who attained 'martyrdom' while serving the country.

"Although loss of a soldier is irreparable, the Kejriwal government, after coming to power had launched the scheme to provide ex gratia to families of such personnel so it could become a source for them to live with dignity," he had said.

From the Delhi Police staff, one senior officer and a constable are among the list of the six men who died while performing their duty.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanket Kaushik lost his life during duty at Rajokri Flyover. A truck hit him while he was checking vehicles around the area, and he died on the spot, the statement said.

Kaushik left behind his wife and three daughters who now depend on her for sustenance.

"And, so to honour his martyrdom and support his family to live a life of dignity, we have announced ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to his family," the deputy chief minister had earlier said.

Similarly, Vikas Kumar, a Delhi Police constable, was performing his picket duty when a four-wheeler whose driver had "knowingly increased the speed" hit him, when it was asked to stop the vehicle.

Vikas was injured in the incident, and was shifted to AIIMS thereafter where he was declared dead.

From the Indian Air Force, Rajesh Kumar from Safdarjung here was another such "martyr who lost his life while serving the Air Force", the chief minister's office said.

Rajesh was on an aircraft which took off from Jorhat, Assam and later it went missing. Its wreckage was found in Arunachal Pradesh, and he was subsequently found dead. He had only been three months into his marriage, and therefore his family will also be extended the 'Samman Rashi'.

From IAF, Flt Lt Sunit Mohanty was on the same flight as Rajesh Kumar. Mohanty was from Dwarka, and he also passed away in the plane crash, while performing his duty. He was living with his family, including his aged father, mother and a younger sister, the government said.

Also, Meet Kumar, a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force, had died after his MIG-21 crashed in an operational flying sortie in Kangra hills in Himachal Pradesh.

Pravesh Kumar, a Civil Defence personnel, was performing his duty at Mangolpuri flyover when a truck rammed into him and fled, and he died. His family will also receive the support of Rs 1 crore, it added.