Delhi govt announces ₹1 crore honorarium for riot victim IB staffer’s kin

The Delhi government on Monday (March 3) announced an honorarium of ₹1 crore for the family of Ankit Sharma, the Intelligence Bureau employee who lost his life in last week’s communal riots in northeast Delhi.

Announcing the compensation, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said a family member of Sharma, who used to work as a security assistant in the IB, will also be given a government job.

“Ankit Sharma was a brave officer. He was brutally murdered in the riots. The country is proud of him. The Delhi government has decided that his family will be given an honorarium of Rs 1 crore, and a job to one person of his family. May his soul rest in peace,” the chief minister tweeted.

Sharma’s body was fished out of a drain in Chand Bagh area on February 26. His family has blamed AAP coulcillor Tahir Hussain and his supporters for the 26-year-old’s death. They said Hussain instigated the mob which dragged Sharma into a building and then killed him.

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However, the AAP leader denied the allegations saying he had left the area before Sharma was killed. He was suspended by the party after he was booked for Sharma’s murder.

At least 46 people have been killed in the communal violence that erupted on Sunday night following clashes between pro- and anti-citizenship law protesters.

Ratan Lal, a Delhi Police head constable, was also killed in the violence and the Kejriwal government had last week announced a ₹1 crore compensation for his family.

(With inputs from agencies)