New Delhi: Delhi Police constable
Subhash Tomar, who had suffered
serious injuries when a protest
against the gang-rape of a young
medical student turned violent at
India Gate on Sunday, died at a
hospital in the capital today. He was
cremated with full state honours at
Delhi's Nighambodh Ghat this
afternoon. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit, Minister of State for Home
RPN Singh and Home Secretary RK
Singh were among the 1000 people
who attended his funeral. (Delhi
constable cremated with full state
honours)
Mr Tomar, 45, was found lying
unconscious on Tilak Marg near India
Gate on Sunday and was rushed to
Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
He had since been on ventilator. It
was initially reported that he had
suffered a heart attack after being
injured. But top police officials later
denied these reports and alleged that
Mr Tomar was beaten up by
hooligans among the protesters.
Eight people, including one activist of
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party,
were arrested in connection with the
attack on constable Tomar. They
were arrested and charged with
attempt to murder yesterday, but
were released on bail due to lack of
evidence. They have now been
charged with murder.
"We have lost a very brave
policeman. We are sending the body
for post-mortem so we know the
specific reason for his death. We will
provide all support to the family and
help them," Taj Hassan, the Joint
Commissioner of Central Zone, said
today. Mr Tomar's post-mortem was
conducted at Lady Hardinge Medical
College hospital this morning.
No eyewitness has so far come
forward to identify his alleged
assailants.
Mr Tomar is survived by his wife and
three children - two sons and a
daughter. Speaking to NDTV, his
family appealed to protesters to
maintain calm. "It's dangerous being
a policeman. But he did it because he
loved his job and it was his duty. This
violence will not serve any purpose,"
said his wife Amrish Devi.
Mr Tomar's elder son, Deepak,
complained that no leader came to
see his father while he was struggling
for his life in the hospital. "No leader
came here to see him. Public is
responsible for this. They beat him
up badly. Can they give me my
father back?" He had told NDTV
yesterday that when he saw
television reports of the violence at
India Gate, he phoned his father on
his cellphone. But someone else
answered and said Mr Tomar had
fallen to the ground and was being
moved to hospital.
All personnel in the Delhi Police have
reportedly decided to donate one
day's salary to Mr Tomar's family.
Mr Tomar was a graduate in arts and
hailed from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.
He joined the police force in 1987 and
was currently posted in Karawal
Nagar area of Delhi. He was among
the police personnel deployed around
India Gate on Sunday for maintaining
law and order during a protest
against the brutal rape of Amanat
(NOT her real name) in a moving bus
in the heart of Delhi on December 16.
The protests against the rape began
on Saturday as thousands of young
people gathered at India Gate and
marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan
demanding justice for the girl, who is
currently battling for her life. On
Sunday, however, the demonstrations
turned violent with the police
clashing repeatedly with students and
others protesters.
The spontaneous movement led
largely by students devolved into
riots as thousands of protesters
defied police orders and gathered
there to demand stricter laws against
rape and more safety for women in
the capital.
The police used tear-gas and water-
cannons repeatedly, partly because
some miscreants in the crowd set a
car and wooden benches on fire. The
Delhi Police said 78 policemen were
injured in stone-pelting by hooligans
who had joined the protesters.
Around 65 protesters were also
injured.
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