Tomar 'murder': Rajabala's kin cry foul over police move

The death of constable Subhash Chand Tomar after the weekend spate of violence at India Gate is similar to that of Rajbala.

The death of constable Subhash Chand Tomar after the weekend spate of violence at India Gate is similar to that of Rajbala. She had died of cardiac arrest while being treated for spinal injuries she had suffered when police baton charged protesters during Ramdev's fast at Ramlila Maidan on June 5 last year.

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But the sections of law being applied to the cases are different. While the constable is now the victim, policemen were the accused in Rajbala's case.

The police had claimed that Rajbala was hurt during a stampede, and so no case of murder was registered after her death. "If Tomar's death is murder then Rajbala was also murdered. Since Tomar was a part of the force, the police had filed an attempt-to-murder case immediately. But in her case, they chose to ignore all the evidence," Rakesh Malik, her daughter-in-law, said.

"They booked the accused under Section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others), claiming it was an accidental death. Tomar's death could also be accidental. How can they be sure that the crowds killed him?" Malik asked.

Rajbala's post-mortem reports said she had died following cervical vertebral fracture and associated spinal cord damage.