Bhaiyyalal gets house on eve of Khairlanji anniversary

Nagpur, Sep 28 (UNI) Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, the lone survivor of a dalit family after last year's gruesome killing of his wife, two sons and a daughter, was given a government house in Bhandara in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra today on the eve of the first anniversary of the incident.

The keys to the house, constructed by MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority), were handed over to Mr Bhotmange by Bhandara District Collector Sambhajirao Sarkunde, according to an official press release here.

The 979.16 sq ft dwelling unit cost Rupees 2.23 lakh, and the entire amount had been paid by the state Government, the release said, adding that the house had been given to him as per Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's assurance.

Meanwhile, activists have planned to stage dharnas all over the state to protest the Khairlanji killings. The Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar-Khairlanji Hatyakand Virodhi Sangharsha Samiti, which claims to be an umbrella outfit of several organisations, said the dharnas would be staged at all the district places. A seminar on means of preventing caste injustice would be held at Bhandara tomorrow.

The Khairlanji Action Committee will hold a programme to mark the anniversary here tomorrow morning. A condolence meeting will be held in the evening. Surekha Bhotmange (45), daughter Priyanka (18), and sons Roshan (23) and Sudhir (21) were lynched by a mob in village Khairlanji late on the night of September 29 last over a land dispute. Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange managed to escape and survived.

The police had arrested 47 people after investigation into the incident. The probe was later handed over to the CBI, which filed a chargesheet against 11 people, with the remaining 36 being released as no charges were brought against them. The case is being heard in a court now.

UNI