COVID-19: Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to release Rs 1 crore as ex-gratia to the family of Amit Kumar, a police constable who died of COVID-19 while performing his duties in 2020.
Justice Pratibha M. Singh said the compensation amount should be released within four weeks as per the government order. Under the Delhi government’s order dated November 3, 2022, compensation of Rs 60 lakh and Rs 40 lakh was sanctioned for the wife and father of the deceased constable respectively.
The high court had earlier urged the authorities to take a decision on payment of compensation of Rs 1 crore, saying the city government should not go back from a clear declaration of ex-gratia payment. The court said there was “clear communication” by officials and press clippings, which left no doubt about the compensation announced.
Amit Kumar’s wife, in her petition, cited government orders and said that Delhi Police personnel were deployed on duty across the city during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her husband contracted Covid while on duty and died.
Amit Kumar, a young constable of Delhi Police, was deployed at Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital to enforce COVID-19 lockdown measures. The petition cited Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s tweet dated May 7, 2020, in which an ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 crore was promised to the family.
Tags: Delhi High Court directs release compensation crore family constable died due Covid
