Bulandshahr violence: Youth's family agrees for last rites after compensation

After initial protests, the family of a youth who died during the mob violence over alleged illegal cow slaughter here agreed to conduct his last rites as the district administration announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh.

In the afternoon, the family had refused to proceed for last rites demanding the government announced Rs 50 lakh compensation, pension to the deceased's parents and a police job to his elder brother.

Sumit Kumar's father Amarjeet Singh, 55, had also demanded funeral to his son with same honour as was accorded to Inspector Subodh Kumar, who was also killed in the mob violence Monday.

After initial protests, the family agreed to move for last rites around 5.30 pm when the district administration announced Rs 5 lakh compensation, Bulandshahr Additional District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Mishra said.

Sumit's (20) body arrived at his home in Chingrawathi around 2.30 pm amid heavy police security. Bulandshahr MP Bhola Singh and local MLA Devendra Lodhi were also present.

The MP said, "The district administration will send the recommendation the day after tomorrow and he and the MLA will make efforts to ensure the family's demands are met by the government."

Sumit was also named as one of the accused in the FIR registered early this morning.

"We have also asked the police to remove his name from the FIR and register a second FIR by the deceased family under IPC section 302 (murder)," Bhola Singh said.

Sumit's neighbour claimed he had gone to a bus stand near the incident site to drop a friend when he got caught up in the violence on Monday and suffered gunshot injury.

"We are on the protest. We will not cremate the body until the government gives us a written assurance that it would grant us Rs 50 lakh compensation, pension and a job in the police department to Sumit's elder brother Vineet," Amarjeet Kumar had told reporters in the afternoon.

Vineet alleged delay in the post-mortem leading to a delay in bringing the body to the home.

"There was no arrangement for us. For post-mortem, we had to wait from yesterday evening till today...We could leave Meerut for a home with the body only after 1 pm today (Tuesday)," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)