Ex-gratia to families of serial killing raised to Rs 5 lakhs

Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Jan 3 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government has increased the ex-gratia amount to the families of the victims of the Nithari village serial killings to Rs five lakh.

The ex-gratia amount has been raised to Rs five lakh, District Magistrate Ajay Chauhan told UNI.

''Earlier the amount announced by the state government, to the Nithari victims' families was Rs two lakh. This has now been enhanced to Rs five lakh.'' Some 12 families had already received the Rs two lakh ex-gratia yesterday and they would be paid an additional amount of Rs three lakh, said the DM adding that three more families would soon receive the ex-gratia amount.

In all 15 victims have been identified from the 17 skeletal remains recovered from the searches carried out by the police around the 'D-5' Nithari village 'killer house'.

The latest step by the government follows criticism from various quarters, including political parties, about a 'pittance' having been doled out to the families of the victims killed in Sector 31 Nithari village over a two-year period.

UNI