Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday met the family of the 23-year-old Delhi braveheart, who died of wounds sustained during a fightback against her rapists in a moving bus in the national capital and promised them all possible help from the state government.
Yadav, who arrived at the victim's native Medawar Kala village here, spent about half an hour with the family speaking to male members outside the house and later went inside to meet her mother and express his condolences. He also presented a cheque of Rs20 lakhs to the parents of the deceased.
While speaking to reporters, Yadav said though the government has extended help to the family, their loss is immense and cannot be compensated. "This is a gruesome incident...the country has come to know of it...there has not been any such case in the world...there is anger in the country over it and people are also showing it," Yadav said.
The chief minister also announced that a primary health centre (PHC) would be set up in the village for which land has been made available, even as he denied that it would be named after the girl as "there is no such provision under the law".
Appealing on behalf of the government and also Samajwadi Party for stern punishment to those guilty of the crime, Yadav said the paramedical student was the family's hope for better future but could not be saved. Yadav said post-incident, governments have woken up and there is a need to initiate concrete steps to deal with them. "The police also need to keep a vigilant eye. Stern measures would be taken up soon," he said.
Referring to the women helpline started by the UP police, Yadav said a door has been opened for women to seek help in distress and promised that more steps would be taken by his government. This even as he evaded questions regarding demands for provision of capital punishment on rape charges.
