While the State government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh compensation and other benefits to the family of slain police sub-inspector Mallikarjun Bande, another police official, Basavantappa, Assistant Sub-Inspector, who was stabbed to death while on duty by an autorickshaw driver, is yet to get compensation.
Basavantappa’s family has been running from pillar to post for the past nearly one decade to get Rs. 5 lakh compensation, but to no avail. “What we got after the death of my father in October 2004 was the Provident Fund amount and insurance amount due to him and nothing more. But my brother has been given employment as First Division Clerk in the Revenue Department on compassionate grounds,” said Vijayakumar, third son of Basavantappa.
Mr. Vijayakumar, who is a physical education teacher in the government high school near Gulbarga, told The Hindu that as per the government circular issued in August 2003, police personnel laying down their lives while on duty would get a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh, those suffering permanent disability would get Rs. 1 lakh compensation, and those suffering various degrees of injuries Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 10,000.
He said that in May 2008 the then Director-General of Police had in a circular clarified that the compensation due to the family of police personnel laying down their lives while on duty can be sanctioned at the office of the Superintendent of Police of the districts concerned, Commissioner of Police for Bangalore, Inspector-General of Police of KSRP in respect of KSRP personnel.
The family had represented to almost all Superintendents of Police of Gulbarga district since the death of Basavantappa, but so far nothing has come. “Those who are demanding more compensation for the family of Bande should also take into consideration the pathetic condition of other police officers who lost their lives while on duty and enable them to get compensation due to them,” he said.
