HC to pass order on pleas against compensation to Grewal’s kin

Delhi high court on Tuesday said it would next month pronounce an order on pleas challenging AAP government’s decision to award Rs one crore compensation and a job to the family of ex-armyman Ram Kishan Grewal, who had committed suicide allegedly over OROP issue. 

“List the matter for order by this court on December 12,” a Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said.

The Bench had on November 7 reserved its verdict for today on two pleas, which AAP government had termed premature. Delhi government had defended its decision to award Rs one crore to the family of Grewal, saying it was a “policy matter” which has to go to the LG for approval. The plea by advocate Avadh Kaushik, who had also opposed the government’s decision to declare Grewal as ‘martyr’, has said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should not “glorify” the act of suicide.

Another petitioner Puran Chand Arya, through his counsel Abhishek Choudhary, had sought a direction to restrain the government from going ahead with the decision till the court pronounced its order.

Retired Army Subedar Grewal had on November 1 committed suicide allegedly over ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP) when a protest on the issue was going on. 

The petitioners has claimed that the AAP government has decided to give ‘martyr’ status to Grewal and they should not award compensation like this as it was taxpayers’ money. 

“A person who has committed suicide has been awarded. It will promote suicide in the society,” the petition claimed. Advocate Kaushik told the Bench that this was the third time when the government has taken such a decision.