While Lakhnipur village recovered from the gruesome news of the brutal hacking of a dalit couple over Rs 15, another big news has come in. Mainpuri Collector P C Gupta informed villagers that the three minor sons of the deceived couple would together receive aid of Rs 32 lakh.
From the sons’ two older married sisters to the family of the shopkeeper accused of killing them, all want a share of this amount. The two daughters Kiran, 21, and Milan, 18, continue to stay at their parents’ home after marriage, and are now looking after their brothers.They decided which portions of their hut would be renovated from the promised funds.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the younger sons are of ages 14, 12 and 8, and visibly apprehensive about the prospect of moving to a residential school, which was arranged by the district administration. The youngest son Lalu is the only one to have ever been to school and is in class V.
The hut is sparse apart from a broken cot, dirty utensiles and torn clothes hanging from a rope. The door of the hut is damaged and hangs by its hinges.
This is all we have. My father also owned 1.5 bighas of land, but that is almost barren. He never had money to buy seeds, pesticides etc for farming so we worked on contract basis in the fields of others.Milan
The deceased’s brother Ram Avtar, who lives in Mohabbatpur village, calls it “nothing less than a miracle”.
This family hasn’t ever seen Rs 32 lakh. Even the two daughters were married in only Rs 50,000, which Bharat took from one of our relatives. They don’t even know what the money means.Ram Avtar
Neeraj, Kiran’s husband spent time and energy running around to arrange funds for a prayer ceremony for his in-laws. He praised the parents and said that they achieved in death what they couldn’t do while they were living and that is commendable.
Kiran bitterly reminds all that only the minor boys would have a share of the money and even so, they would have to pay for the last rites.
The compensation sum will be deposited in the bank accounts of the boys and they can access it only after each turns 18. In the meanwhile, the district administration has arranged for their schooling.
The accused shopkeepers Ashok and Rajni Mishra are in custody for killing the couple over Rs 15. Their minor children too have been abandoned.
Children are children, whether they are of one who dies, or one who killsDolly, caretaker of the Mishra children
The youngest son, Lalu is excited about going to a big school and the brothers feel relived they won’t be hungry or have to work for food.
They said we will get everything, shelter, food, in school. So we are thinking there is no harm goingRahul
(Source: The Indian Express)
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