Delhi: Chowk near Rinku Sharma's house will be named after him

New Delhi, Feb 17: North Delhi Mayor and senior BJP leader Jai Prakash on Wednesday visited the family of Rinku Sharma at Mangolpuri who was killed last week here, and announced that the road intersection near his house will be named after him.

After his nearly one-hour visit, the mayor also appealed to the Delhi government to release Rs 1 cr in compensation and offer a job to his next of kin.

A day earlier, Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra had met Sharma''s family to provide financial assistance of Rs 1 crore, and alleged that the youth was targeted and killed for taking part in collection of donation for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya.

Pragya Thakur, the BJP MP from Bhopal also met his family at Mangolpuri and extended her support and sympathies to them, said an aide of the MP.

Police has denied any communal angle in the murder of the youth in Mangolpuri last week, though BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders have been charging it was the fallout of his participation in a donation drive for the Ram temple.

"I met Rinku Sharma''s family to express my condolences to them. As a mayor, I made the announcement there that the ''chowk'' near his house will be named after him," Prakash said.

Also, efforts will be made to see, if a job can be offered to his next of kin, he said, adding, "we have asked for the biodata from his family".

"I also appeal to the Delhi government to release Rs 1 crore as compensation to his family," he said.

The mayor condemned Sharma''s murder and demanded that strictest action be taken against the culprits.

"The North Delhi Municipal Corporation will name Mangolpuri chowk in the name of the deceased, Rinku Sharma, for which a proposal will be brought by the area councillor Raj Prakash," he was later quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.

Police has arrested five people in connection with 25-year-old Sharma''s killing. The case has been transferred from local police to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.