Lucknow, September 12:Falling in love with an upper caste girl proved fatal for a youth who was brutally killed and one of his eyes gouged out in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad district, about 125 km from here.
According to police sources, the body of the youth identified as Rehan Ahmed, a resident of Khandpipra village in the district, was recovered from near a graveyard, a few hundred metres away from the village, on Saturday.
Rehan was having an affair with a girl of the same village for the past two years and the two wanted to marry but their affair was not approved by the girl’s family since he hails from a lower caste.
“The lovers belonged to different castes and the family of the girl was opposed to their marriage…the boy was also warned by the girl’s family members on many occasions,” officials said.
With a plan to eliminate Rehan, the girl’s family invited the boy home in the pretext of discussing the marriage and hacked him to death. They also gouged out one of his eyes.
“Rehan’s body bore several injury marks. His legs and hands were broken and one of the eyes was missing,” police sources said.
The body of Rehan was dumped near the graveyard a little away from the village at night. Rehan’s family members grew suspicious when he did not return home and they suspected foul play and informed the police.
Four persons have been named in the murder. The girl’s mother and sister have been taken into custody and hunt was on to nab the other accused. “It appears to be a case of honour killing,” the officials said.
Killings for honour of the family is a common feature in Uttar Pradesh, especially in the Jat-dominated western region.
Minister ,Mla salary rise by 1000%
Bhopal,September 12 :The salaries and perks drawn by the legislators from Madhya Pradesh has recorded a rise of 1000% percent during the last 15 years in stark contrast with the pension assigned to the elderly living under poverty line, sources said.
With the development funds sanctioned for the law-makers going up by 300 per cent, the old living below the poverty line still get a pension of only Rs 275 per month, they said.
Of the measly sum of Rs 275, the state government’s contribution is Rs 75, while the remaining Rs 200 comes from the Centre.
“In the last fifteen years, the salary of legislators has gone up from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 but because of various allowances, the ministers take home Rs 65,000 per month while the MLAs more than Rs 50,000,” they said.
The Union Rural Development Ministry in its order dated June 30 created two categories for those getting old age pension under the BPL. Under this, those between the ages of 60 to 79 get a pension of Rs 200 per month while those above the age of 80 get Rs 500.
The Centre also lowered the age for getting pension 65 to 60 as it is of the view that those who have reached the age of 60 should get the benefit of social pension.
At present 169 lakh persons above the age of 65 years and living below poverty line are receiving Central assistance under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.