New Delhi: As many as 33 on-duty policemen died in the last two years, either murdered or run down by reckless drivers. This year, 14 cops — five constables, two head constables, three assistant sub-inspectors, two sub-inspectors and two inspectors — lost their lives in the line of duty. Last year, 19 personnel — seven head constables, six ASIs, four SIs, one inspector and one multitasking staff — died.The toll rises to 51 when the 18 casualties of 2022 are counted.
The nature of policing duties inherently involves significant risk. "There have been numerous instances where our cops faced physical danger, such as being attacked by people or relatives of suspects during apprehension attempts," said an officer. "In some cases, individuals have resorted to violence, including stone-pelting, in an effort to obstruct justice and aid the escape of suspects."
During nighttime patrols and picket duties, the men in uniform are constantly exposed to the risk of being mown down by recklessly driven cars. "Several incidents have occurred when cops on patrol have lost their lives or sustained serious injuries while conducting vehicle checks at barricades. These accidents are the result mostly of dangerous driving, highlighting the perilous nature of these routine duties," the officer said.
In one such case on Sept 18 last year, sub-inspector Ganga Sharan lost his life while carrying out his duties. During a routine night patrol in east Delhi's Pandav Nagar, he was struck and killed by a speeding car. The incident occurred when he was inspecting another vehicle.
An officer talked about the unpredictability and risks involved in apprehending criminals. "When we are chasing or attempting to arrest a suspect, we often have no idea whether they are carrying a knife, pistol or other deadly weapons," the officer said. There have been several instances when the men being pursued have opened fire on the police team or attacked them with blunt or sharp objects.
Last year on Jan 4, ASI Shambu Dayal Meena was stabbed to death in west Delhi's Mayapuri. A woman had complained about a man named Anis snatching her husband's phone. Meena had apprehended the culprit and was taking him to the police station when Anis set upon him and stabbed him. The ASI died of the knife wounds on Jan 8. Similarly, on Saturday, when constable Kiranpal Singh stopped three men who were loitering suspiciously in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri, they stabbed him to death.
Families of the deceased are provided a compensation of Rs 15 lakh (from martyrs' fund) in the event of a policeman's death while performing govt duty. In cases of death due to gallantry in the line of duty, resulting solely and directly from external violence, compensation of Rs 30 lakh is offered. "We have a martyrs' fund, the purpose of which is to provide financial assistance to the families of Delhi Police personnel who lay down their lives while performing their duties. They themselves are members of the fund and contribute to the corpus," said an officer, adding that there were other schemes for compensation as well.