Khairlanji killings lone survivor turns down govt accommodation

Nagpur, Oct 21 (UNI) The lone survivor of the killiing of a Dalit family of four in Khairlanji village in Bhandara disrict of Maharashtra has refused to move into the house given to him by the state government.

Speaking to newsmen here yesterday, Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange said he would not shift to the house given to him until he ''got justice''.

He said he had merely ''taken possession' of the house, but had not yet gone to live there''.

''The house does not have a power connection, and there is no water in the taps. The local municipal authorities have not yet given me the possession certificate for the dwelling unit. At present, I am staying at a sympathiser's house in Warthi, near Bhandara,'' he said.

Expressing unhappiness over the pace of the Khairlanji killings trial, Bhotmange reiterated his demand for constitution of a special court and appointment of a Dalit lawyer to assist Ujwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor in the case. The court hearing the accused should be given the status of a special court so that the trial could be held on a day-to-day basis, he said.

''The government has not yet initiated the process of the constitution of a special court despite a specific assurance from the Chief Minister,'' he alleged.

Welcoming the state government's decision to withdraw cases against persons who had participated in the violent protests across the state against the gruesome killings, Bhotmange said the withdrawals should be 'unconditional'. The government should cancel the condition that only those offences in which the damage to property had been less than Rs 5 lakh, would be withdrawn.

Replying to questions, he said he had taken up the job offered to him by the state government shortly after the gruesome killings last year. The government had appointed him as a security guard at a boy's hostel in Bhandara, and he commuted the distance of 10 km from Warthi every day.

UNI