Govt in spot over Rs 20 lakh relief to Jindan’s kin

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 12

The state government is in a fix on how to release the grant of Rs 20 lakh to the family of Dalit BSP leader Kedar Singh Jindan, who was murdered on last Friday at Bakras village in Shillai.

The maximum compensation permissible under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is Rs 8.25 lakh.

The situation has become embarrassing as Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj had announced Rs 20 lakh to the victim’s family on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur, Lalit Jain, said he had accorded the sanction to grant a compensation of Rs 8.25 lakh to the family. He said officials would visit his house tomorrow and ascertain who should be handed over the compensation and issues like providing a government job to his wife and free education to his children would also be taken into consideration. Their case would be forwarded to the state government. The Centre had amended the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995, through a notification on April 14, 2016, specifying 47 categories of offences in which states will pay compensation ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 8.25 lakh to SC/ST victims. The rules, last amended in 2011, had provisions for only 22 kinds of offences with the minimum compensation ranging from Rs 60,000 to Rs 5 lakh. The locals were, however, resenting the inclusion of the Act as they said it was a case of murder alone. A protest march was taken out at Sataun village on Wednesday where people from various communities participated and resented the inclusion of this Act in the FIR. They also burnt the effigy of Theog MLA Rakesh Singha for trying to ignite caste passions.

Third accused held, weapon recovered

The police, meanwhile, arrested third accused Karam Chand, alias Kaku Ram, involved in the murder. Sirmaur SP Rohit Malpani said he had been remanded to the police custody after being produced in a local court. Up-pradhan of Bakras panchayat Gopal and another resident Prakash were arrested earlier on Friday. SP added that a rod used to hit Jindan had also been recovered from the murder site. According to the post-mortem report, the deceased was beaten up with rod and sticks before being crushed by a Scorpio. He said they were yet to ascertain the motive behind this murder.

Protest against SC/ST Act in FIR

Locals were resenting the inclusion of the Act as they said it was a case of murder alone. A protest march was taken out at Sataun village where people from various communities participated and resented the inclusion of this Act in the FIR. They also burnt the effigy of Theog MLA Rakesh Singha for trying to ignite caste passions. 

Timeline

• Day of murder Sept 7
• Two arrests made on Sept 7
• Postmortem on Sept 8
• Protests held on Sept 8
• SIT constituted on Sept 9 
• 3rd accused held on Sept 11