New Delhi: An ex-army man who was part of the protest to demand One Rank One Pension for the armed forces committed suicide by consuming poison on Tuesday evening in a park here, police said on Wednesday.

                                                                           Representative image

Ram Kishan Grewal left behind a suicide note, in which he wrote he is committing suicide as a sacrifice for the nation. “He along with other ex-army officers went to give a memorandum to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan yesterday (Tuesday). He consumed poison at a park later,” a police official said.

The body has been sent for post-mortem at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in central Delhi. Grewal, who was a Subedar, had served as part of 105 Infantry Battalion (T.R.) Rajasthan Rifles for six years, a letter he wrote to the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on October 31 said.

“We (ex-armymen) haven’t received what we were promised as per One-Rank One-Pension scheme. Nor have we received the benefits of the Sixth and the Seventh Pay Commissions. I have worked in 105 Infantry Battalion (T.R.) Rajasthan Rifles for six years and 11 days, and after taking discharge from there joined the Defence Security Corps (DSC). My overall tenure runs up to 30 years nine months and 26 days. Thousands of armymen like me who worked at these two places haven’t received the benefits of the preceding two pay commissions,” the letter said.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday sought details of the suicide of retired Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal. Reports suggest that the soldier was waiting for a meeting with the Defence Minister over the OROP issue.

It may be recalled that former soldiers resumed a relay hunger strike on Tuesday for rectification of anomalies in the OROP scheme announced by the government. A group of ex-servicemen has been demanding removal of anomalies from the OROP scheme. One of the main demands of the former soldiers is annual revision of pension. Under the present scheme, revision will take place every five years.

Rahul Gandhi, Manish Sisodia detained

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was on Wednesday detained by Delhi Police while trying to meet the family of a retired soldier who committed suicide demanding OROP’s implementation. Gandhi was detained close to the gates of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here when he went to meet the family of the victim Ram Kishan Grewal. Gandhi was detained at the Mandir Marg police station.

An upset Gandhi told the media: “It is an undemocratic mentality. A new kind of India is being created. It is Modiji’s India.”

Earlier, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was detained by the police. The Joint Commissioner of Police, Deependra Pathak said the detentions were made to control the situation.