Rs 2 million relief, job to Punjab Dalit victim’s family

Chandigarh (IANS): Acting on Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s directives, the state government on Monday announced Rs 20 lakh [Rs 2 million] in compensation for the family of the Dalit man murdered in Changali Kalan village in Sangrur district.

The decision was announced after a meeting between three cabinet ministers and other high officials with the deceased’s widow Manjit Kaur and other family members.

The cabinet ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh and Vijay Inder Singla and Chief Minister’s Secretary Political Capt. Sandeep Sandhu represented the government at the meeting held at the Chief Minister’s Office.

After the meeting, the family lifted their protest dharna outside the residence of former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in her native village Lehra.

It was decided at the meeting that the deceased’s widow would be provided a group-D job near her residence, thereby giving relaxation in the prescribed educational qualification.

It was also decided to provide free ration up to six months to the family. The entire expenditure on the ‘bhog’ of the victim would be borne by the state government.

Further, the state would provide Rs 1.25 lakh [Rs 125,000] for the repair of the house of Jagmail Singh.

The government has also decided to provide free education to the deceased’s children studying in classes 9, 6 and 1 up to graduation level.

According to an official spokesperson, the family was informed that the Chief Minister has ordered a comprehensive probe by an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)-rank officer into the murder case.

The Chief Minister has ordered the police to issue the ‘challan’ in the case within a week. All efforts would be made to ensure stringent punishment for the culprits within three months.

The ADGP has also been mandated to probe the lapses by the officers, if any, to fix their accountability.

The spokesperson DGP Dinkar Gupta had deputed ADGP Gurpreet Deo to undertake the inquiry and to submit a list of recommendations to prevent such unfortunate incidents or delays, if any, in filing the case in the future.

The inquiry officers’ responsibility should also be fixed to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the erring officers, said the DGP.