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Gujarat: BJP leaders visit Botad village, hand over compensation to family of Dalit dy sarpanch

Manji’s widow Geetaben Solanki was handed over a cheque of Rs 4.15 lakh as compensation by the government on Saturday. Manji’s son Tushar Solanki said another Rs 6,000 was given to them.

gujarat deputy sarpanch murder, gujarat sarpanch murder, botad sarpanch murder, botad dalit sarpanch murder, india news, Indian Express Manji’s widow Geetaben Solanki was handed over a cheque of Rs 4.15 lakh as compensation by the government on Saturday. (File)

Three days after the murder of the Dalit deputy sarpanch of Jalila, Manji Solanki, allegedly by a group of upper-caste Kshatriya men, BJP leaders Jivraj Chauhan, also the Deputy Mayor of Vadodara, and Shambhuprasad Tundiya, a Rajya Sabha MP, met his family at the village in Botad district’s Ranpur taluka on Saturday.

Manji’s widow Geetaben Solanki was handed over a cheque of Rs 4.15 lakh as compensation by the government on Saturday.

Manji’s son Tushar Solanki said another Rs 6,000 was given to them. “We were told the rest of the compensation will be given after the chargesheet is filed.”

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The family submitted a seven-point demand to Chauhan to expedite action in the case as well as for the over all security of the Dalit community in the state.

Chauhan said that the government had accepted the pleas for weapon licences from the members of the community who were facing threat, as well as Manji’s application, submitted before his murder, for police security.

Festive offer

“The party (BJP) has asked me to intervene in the matter since I am from Botad. I am very familiar with this village because I have worked here as a labourer during my student days about 30 years ago. Since I also belong to the (Dalit) community, the party felt that my presence will help the family feel better,” Chauhan said.

He added the family had submitted a memorandum, but none of their demands were personal. “Instead, they have drawn our attention towards issues like vigilance meetings for Dalit communities, meant to be held by top police officers. The family says that in rural areas like theirs the police officers do not take such meetings seriously and depute junior officers. They have also sought protection for the witnesses in cases related to Dalits because the upper caste accused often pressurise and harm the key witnesses,” he said.

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Chauhan also said that a compensation of Rs 8.25 lakh was announced for the family. “Out of it, a part has been given to the members of the family, while the remaining half will be given after the chargesheet is filed as per rules.” Another Rs 2 lakh compensation will be given to the family as part of an insurance policy.

First uploaded on: 23-06-2019 at 01:09 IST
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