Date:05/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/05/stories/2006050522950400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Thespian's family pays relief to victims of violence

Staff Reporter

HEALING TOUCH: Parvathamma Rajkumar, Shivrajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar distributing relief cheques to the kin of those killed in violence during the funeral of Rajkumar, in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

BANGALORE: With the only bread earner gone, the family of Basavaiah does not know how to make the two ends meet. All that the 50-year-old man earned as a security guard was enough only to pay the rent.

His 24-year-old son Shylesh Kumar died in the violence that followed the death of Kannada thespian Rajkumar on April 12. He was one of the eight persons who died in the violence. "The earnings of my son was helping me run a family of five, which includes his handicapped elder sister, Shalini. We do not know what will be our future now," said Basavaiah's wife, Rajamma.

Basavaiah, accompanied by his wife Rajamma and daughter Shalini, had gone to the house of Rajkumar in Sadashivanagar to receive a compensation of Rs. 50,000 from the thespian's family. The families of Muniraj (42), Yeshwant Shetty (19), Gopi (27), Janardhan, Amjad Khan (25), and Shivakumar also received the compensation.

Rajkumar's wife, Parvatamma, turned emotional hearing about the suffering of the victims' family members. "I know the pain that you are going through for the loss of your dear ones. Please excuse us with a big heart for the violence that followed by husband's death," she said. Rajkumar's sons — Shivrajkumar, Raghavendra and Puneet promised to urge the State Government for early release of compensation amount.