Khairlanji anniversary passes off peacefully

Nagpur, Sep 29 (UNI) The first anniversary of last year's gruesome killing of four members of a dalit family in Khairlanji village of Bhandara district in Maharashtra passed off peacefully with activists offering prayers at several places to mark the occasion in Vidarbha today.

Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, the lone survivor in the family after the killing of his wife, two sons and a daughter, paid tributes at the hut in village Khairlanji, where they were living when the incident took place.

Among those who lit candles were Bhante Arya Nagarjun Surai Sasi and member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Nitin Raut.

Elsewhere, activists from various organisations paid tributes, held condolence meetings and staged peaceful demonstrations at several places in Vidarbha to mark the day.

There had been widespread violent protests at several places in Vidarbha as activists took to the streets after the incident last year.

Meanwhile, Mr Bhotmange was given a house on the eve of the first anniversary of the tragedy in Bhandara yesterday. The house had been given to him as per Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's assurance.

Surekha Bhotmange (45), daughter Priyanka (18), and sons Roshan (23) and Sudhir (21) were lynched by a mob in village Khairlanji in Bhandara district late on the night of September 29 last over a land dispute. Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange managed to escape and survived. The police had arrested 47 persons in all during investigation into the incident. The probe was later handed over to the CBI, which filed a chargesheet against 11 persons, with the remaining 36 being released as no charges were brought against them. The case is being heard in a court now.

UNI