Help pours in for kids of Dalits killed over Rs 15

AGRA: Reacting to the plight of the three minor sons of the Dalit couple hacked to death by a shopkeeper in Mainpuri on Thursday for a debt of mere Rs 15, many TOI readers have offered help, including some looking into possibilities of adopting the children. TOI has also received numerous mails and messages from its readers offering monetary help to the boys -Rahul, 15, Ranjit, 13, and Lallu, 8.
The couple is also survived by two older married daughters, who are not in a position to look after the boys due to their own weak financial condition.
Ketto, an internet-based crowdfunding platform which raises funds for social, charitable, personal and crea tive causes, contacted TOI and offered to start a fund raiser for the benefit of the brothers.
Areader, Manpreet, wrote saying that his friend runs a government-approved orphanage in Delhi and is ready to become their legal guardian and bear the expenses of their studies. An entrepreneur, Parth Sarthy from Ahmedabad, has even offered to adopt them.
Shashank Gupta from Haridwar has offered an immediate financial assistance of Rs 5,000, besides Rs 1,000 per month for the boys. Pramod Srivastava, a businessman from Mumbai said if the boys were willing to relocate, they could be settled in a good orphanage. A social organisation, he said, was willing to fund their studies as well.
Meanwhile, some local politicians have jumped in to assist the family . Kamlesh Kumari, a local Mainpuri BSP activist who is reportedly eyeing a party ticket from Kishni assembly constituency, visited the grieving family and donated 50 kg each of wheat and rice, 5 litres of cooking oil and spices for the family.