UP announces compensation for kin of terror accused

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced financial compensation of Rs.600,000 to the family of Khalid Mujahid, the serial blast accused, who died last week.

Mujahid, a prime accused in the serial blasts that rocked Uttar Pradesh courts in 2007, collapsed May 18 and later died while returning from a hearing at Faizabad court to the Lucknow prison where he was lodged.

Family members accused 42 senior cops, including former director general of police Vikram Singh, of conspiring to murder Mujahid.

While a first information report (FIR) was lodged at the insistence of family members, the state government recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the circumstances leading to his death after Muslim groups slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) for failing to protect minorities. The CBI has so far not taken up the matter.

"This is not only bizarre but anti-national that a person facing terror charges is being glorified by giving his family ex-gratia compensation," said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak.

He accused the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) of "crossing all limits to appease the minority vote bank". Stating that Mujahid had not been cleared of terror charges, Pathak asked why the SP was treating him like a martyr.

Congress leaders have slammed the chief minister for saying that Mujahid died of some disease.

"If the chief minister knows that the terror accused died of some ailment, why did he recommend a CBI probe at all?" asked Shakeel Ahmad, senior Congress leader.