A casualty of protests

Tomar’s family faced problems after his death as he was the only earning member
The cause for which the protests were held was good, but it is us who bore the maximum cost,” says Aditya Tomar, the youngest child of late Delhi Police constable Subhash Tomar who died while on duty during the protest held at India Gate against the gang-rape of 23-year-old paramedic student in December 2012

Subhash Tomar, who died of heart attack he suffered while on duty, was posted in Karawal and was called to central Delhi for maintaining law and order as with each passing day the demonstrators were getting more restless and aggressive over the brutal rape.

Blaming destiny, Aditya recounts how his father was not on duty that day but was called to work as the force needed more personnel to deal with the surging crowd around India Gate.

As the boy narrates, the family started facing problems after Tomar’s death as he was the only earning member in the family. His elder son was pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and was still in his first year.

“We were facing financial problems but the family was so pain-stricken that none of us paid attention to what we were going through,” Aditya says.

“Our entire family was with us. We were not left alone in that period of pain.  Our neighbours also seemed helpful. Since the day he died, people and distant relatives had been pouring in to share our grief. Now after 18 months, finally everything is heading back to normal.”

He says time is the best healer. “After my father’s death, mummy slipped into depression and used to be ill, but as the time is passing by, she is also recovering.”

The family received compensation of Rs 10 lakh from Delhi Police, Rs 3 lakh from Axis Bank and a cheque for Rs 3 lakh from actor Amitabh Bachchan.

Now the family runs its household through pension and salary of elder son who has been given the position of a constable in Delhi Police. He left his BBA course and joined the force on May 1, five months after his father died.

Asked if he also has any plan of joining police, the boy says, “I dropped a year of mine as I couldn’t take admission last year. I also want to do BBA and get in the business line. But if luck also takes me there, I won’t mind joining it.”

A controversy had surrounded the constable’s death as Delhi Police claimed the attack was triggered by “multiple injuries caused by blunt objects”. However, protesters present at the site said he collapsed on his own and they tried to help him.

On April 17, a grand event filled with happiness took place when the late constable’s daughter got married. “Yes, there were no problems as everything went smoothly,” adds Aditya.