UP CM gives Rs 10 lakh to slain jawan's kin, accused to be booked under NSA

Meerut/Lucknow, Aug 16: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of an army jawan who was killed when he confronted eve teasers even as authorities said the accused will be booked under stringent NSA after the incident sparked outrage.

Yadav expressed grief over the death of 35-year-old Lance Naik Vedmitra Chaudhury and directed the police to ensure that such incidents did not recur. [Meerut shocker: Army jawan beaten to death by eve-teasers, Indian army pays tribute to martyr]

He directed the authorities to take stringent action against the culprits to send a strong message among anti-social elements that the administration will not tolerate crimes against women.

The Chief Minister also said action would taken against the officials on showing laxity and ordered registering of an FIR immediately in such cases.

Meanwhile, all the accused in the case would be booked under National Security Act for their involvement in the case, SSP DC Dubey told PTI in Meerut.

So far, three accused - Akash Saini, Sanju and Satish Saini - were arrested yesterday.

Search for the fourth accused, Chhavindra, is on, he said. Meanwhile, state BJP chief Laxmi Kant Bajpai said police should hang their heads in shame that a soldier had to lay down his life to save the modesty of a girl.

Bajpai said if police failed to take strong action, BJP workers would take the responsibility of protecting girls on their own.

"We should not be, in that case, be blamed," he said, adding BJP will raise the issue vociferously in the state legislature tomorrow.

While criticising the incident, former UPPCC secretary Yashpal Singh today hailed the jawan as martyr saying there can't be a bigger sacrifice.

The jawan was beaten to death by some eve teasers when he tried to rescue the girl on Thursday.

Vedmitra Chaudhury, a Lance Naik in 416 Engineering Brigade, had gone to get milk from a booth on Rohtak Road in Hardevnagar when he saw some youths teasing the daughter of the booth owner.

He came to the girl's rescue and even beat up one of the eve-teasers - Akash Saini, police said.

Later, Akash called his friends, who arrived at the spot armed with sticks and assaulted Chaudhury, leaving him seriously injured.

The jawan, who was staying at Gopal Vihar with his wife and children, was admitted to Army Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday night, police said.

PTI