The son of Ram Kishan Grewal, the ex-serviceman who allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday evening by consuming poison over the issue of One Rank One Pension scheme (OROP), said on Wednesday that he and his family members were beaten by police before being taken to a police station.
Jaswant, Grewal’s elder son, said the police beat him and thrashed his younger brother as well as brother-in-law. Jaswant was detained along with his brother and relative at a police station in the heart of the city.
"We have been ill-treated. We were beaten and abused. We want justice," Jaswat said in a video message.
The grieving son said he had never heard of such conduct by the police towards soldiers' families.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was also detained in his efforts to meet the family of the deceased, asked policeman if they felt no “shame” for detaining the family of a dead soldier.
"Have you no shame? He is a son of an army veteran... and you are arresting them?" a video shot inside the Mandir Marg police station where Rahul was taken following his detention showed the Congress VP telling a group of Delhi Police personnel, slamming the detention of family members of the ex-serviceman.
Pointing to Grewal's father and brother, Rahul demanded their release and termed their detention as "shameful".
"What is your name? You think the family of India's martyr should be arrested? Do you not feel ashamed?," Rahul asked one senior police official when he turned down his demand to release the family members of the deceased.
Rahul Gandhi was allowed to leave after some 70 minutes.
Grewal, 70, an ex-serviceman from Haryana's Bhiwani district, ended his life yesterday by allegedly consuming poison on the lawns behind a government building in Janpath, the central area of the capital.
Grewal, who was a familiar face of OROP agitation, left behind a suicide note, his son said.
The police also detained Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia earlier in the day. Members of his party have been protesting against the action outside the Pariament Street police station in the capital where he has been detained.
