Delhi govt to pay Rs 1 cr compensation to kin of cop who died on Covid duty

A single judge bench of Justice Prathiba Singh took note of a November 3 cabinet decision submitted by Delhi government counsel Arun Panwar by which the ex gratia payment for petitioner wife and father of the deceased constable has been approved. “In view of the fact that the government has now agreed to release the ex gratia payment the prayer in the writ stands satisfied,” the HC said.

The court said that the amount shall be released to the petitioner wife and the father of the deceased constable in four weeks. It, thereafter, listed the matter for compliance on December 21.

As per the November 3 order Rs. 60 lakh has been approved to be paid to the petitioner wife while Rs. 40 lakh has been approved to be paid to the deceased constable’s father.

The Delhi Government Cabinet had decided on May 13, 2020, that any person including doctor, nurse or any other government officer/official including “police officer/official”, whether temporary or permanent employee or contractual, working either in the government or private sector deployed for Covid-19 duties by Delhi Government, who expire by contracting the disease during discharge of their duty, such a person’s family shall be paid an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 1 crore, posthumously.
The woman’s counsel had in an earlier hearing relied on a tweet by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, when he had condoled the constable’s death and said that his family will be provided with an ex gratia compensation of Rs. 1 crore.
The HC in its December 15, 2022, order had observed that the matter required “an empathetic consideration”, while adding that there is no doubt about the fact that the deceased constable had died during Covid-19 duty, which is also confirmed by the office of the concerned DCP.