Mehar Bhargava Foundation to award women for bravery

Lucknow, Nov 10 (UNI) Months after Mehar Bhargava was shot here and later died at a New Delhi hospital, her husband, senior Congress leader Luv Bhargava has decided to institute an annual bravery award for women under the newly-floated Mehar Bhargava Foundation.

The Foundation would be officially inaugurated by Delhi chief Minister Sheila Dixit in New Delhi on November 12.

Mr Bhargava told UNI here yesterday he was committed to carrying forward the values of his wife, who laid down her life protecting the honour of her daughter-in-law, when some miscreants passed lewd remarks on February 28.

''I am inspired by the cause, my wife laid down her life for.

She was the embodiment of love, compassion, courage and forthrighness. Mehar's persona was such that she took up lost causes and infused them with her positive energy,'' he said adding her sacrifice to uphold a woman's dignity must not go in vain.

The Congress leader said to promote the cause, some like-minded people have come forward and encouraged him with their time and support in creating the Mehar Bhargava Foundation.

Mr Bhargava said the bravery award would be given to women selected by the Foundation trustees.

While Mr Bhargava is the Chief Trustee of the Foundation, other members are Censor Board chairperson and cinestar Sharmila Tagore, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, former Solicitor General R N Trivedi, Financer Shirin Hamid and ABB director Nasir Munjee.

Mehar, 50, succumbed to her injuries on March 25 in New Delhi, after she was shot by some youth in Lucknow on February 28.

She was allegedly shot by a criminal, Sachin Pahadi when she tried to confront the four men, who had passed lewd comments on her daughter-in-law. In the commotion, the miscreants, including Pahadi, shot at them. Mehar got injured and later died.

Later, the Lucknow Police arrested three accused in the case and shot dead Pahadi in another encounter.

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