The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the AAP government to file a response to PILs against its decision to declare ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who committed suicide over implementation of the OROP scheme, a "martyr" and give his family Rs 1 crore financial aid.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, asked the Delhi government, which had earlier defended its decision, to file a response and posted the matter for March 21. The Delhi Cabinet had approved the government's plan to provide Rs 1 crore financial aid to Grewal's family and decided to declare him a "martyr".
But the PILs said the Delhi government's action will promote more suicides for the award of assistance to families and it cannot "glorify" the suicide. One of the PILs filed by former central government employee Puran Chand Arya, through advocate Abhishek Chaudhary, said suicide is a "cowardly act" and it can "never deserve martyrdom/shaheed status".