The family of a Delhi Police Head Constable, who died of COVID-19 in July, has been denied ex gratia of ₹1 crore by Delhi government. The rejection letter stated he was not on COVID-19 duty.
Head Constable Leela Dhar was posted in south Delhi’s Defence Colony police station and was mostly on picket and patrolling duty, his family, which resides in Srinivaspuri, said.
Dhar’s son Chandrashekhar said that his father fell sick on July 10 and complained of fever and body ache after coming back from work and he was tested for the virus the next day. “After his result, he was quarantined near Mandoli jail but we didn’t like the facilities, so we got him shifted to a quarantine centre in Shahdara. But he fell severely sick and had breathing problems. He was then shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital where he passed away on July 31,” Mr. Chandrashekhar said.
Defiant denial
He said that his father’s ex gratia file with all the required documents was prepared by the department and sent to the government department concerned. However, on November 6, they were informed that the ex gratia has been denied.
The letter, signed by the Sub Divisional Magistrate, read: “I am directed to inform you that the above case has been examined and is not found covered under the Cabinet decision No 2835 dated 13.05.2020 as the deceased was performing his routine duty assigned to him and was not deployed for COVID-19 duty, which is a mandatory condition to become eligible for grant of ex gratia of ₹1 crore”.
No income
The son said that the family had earlier received the amount due to them by Delhi Police but the pension is yet to commence as the procedural work is under way. They currently do not have a source of income, he said.
“My employer has sent me on leave without pay. My sister is pursuing her Masters in Arts and my mother is a housewife. As of now, we are managing with the savings and what we get from police society,” Mr. Chandrashekhar said.
Disappointed, he said: “Every officer who is on the field is on COVID-19 duty. This is just the government’s way to escape from giving the money”.
Earlier, families of Assistant Sub Inspector Shesh Mani Pandey and Constable Yogender, both of who died of COVID-19, were denied ex gratia.
