New Delhi:
There is more controversy over the death of Delhi Police constable Subhash Tomar, who died two days ago after collapsing during protests that turned violent near India Gate on Sunday.
Two eyewitnesses have said that while the police clashed with people protesting against the brutal gang-rape of 23-year-old medical student in a moving bus in Delhi, they saw Mr Tomar fall to the ground as he was chasing protesters. The police claims Mr Tomar was beaten by protesters leading to his collapse. A third person Salim Alvi, who too claims to be a protester, has now come forward to say that he saw a stone being thrown from the crowd, which hit Mr Tomar, 46, on the head and he fell to the ground.
Mr Alvi alleges that he saw a group of people, some of them wearing caps of Arvind Kejriwal's
Aam Aadmi party, then start to kick Mr Tomar; these men were wearing sharp and pointed shoes, he alleged. Mr Alvi says he tried to intervene, but was told, "This is how protests are done."
The attack, he said, lasted for 20 seconds and then the men ran away. Mr Alvi said he could not take any photos since water cannons were being used and his phone was in a plastic bag. He also says that he never thought the constable's situation would get so serious.
Yogendra, a young protester, had told NDTV on Sunday night that Mr Tomar collapsed during the riots, and that other policemen ignored his desperate requests to call for an ambulance. Another protester, Pauline, seen with Yogendra in the photos, her head bandaged, corroborated his account.
"I saw a cop suddenly fall down. We ran towards him and opened his jacket and shirt buttons to help him breathe. He vomited and fell unconscious as we asked him, 'Uncle, can you hear us? If so, please breathe'," said Pauline.
But Mr Alvi countered their claims saying both Pauline and Yogendra reached the spot after 10 minutes which is why they did not see all this. He was around till then.
Mr Alvi says he kept quiet for a day because he thought this would fan the controversy. "But when I saw on TV that people are saying no one beat up Mr Tomar," says Mr Alvi, "I came forward and gave statement to police last evening. I feel if we are demanding justice for the girl, we should as well demand justice for innocent people like Mr Tomar."
He has now been taken to Crime Branch office for questioning.
The post-mortem report, a version of which was shared by the police on Wednesday, had said that Mr Tomar died of injuries from blunt objects. But both Pauline and Yogendra offered a different account - they say he collapsed as he was chasing protesters.
The confusion was exacerbated by doctors who said that Mr Tomar did not have any "major" external injuries. The discrepancy has prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to ask the police for a detailed report on the circumstances in which Mr Tomar was killed.
The controversy comes as Mr Tomar's family is trying to cope with its grief. Mr Tomar died early on Tuesday morning and was cremated with full state honours. His family has blamed the protesters for his death.
Critics of the police allege that by blaming protesters for Mr Tomar's death, the police wants to combat accusations of its lack of restraint in using batons, tear-gas and water cannons to dispel the protests.