District Magistrate Deepak Kumar today urged and pleaded for over an hour with Laxman Singh — a bank employee — to take Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the death of his 20-year-old son Prashant. But the exhausted father politely declined and said that he could not stomach the thought of taking money for his son’s death at this point.‘‘I can’t take this money. Till the chargesheet against the accused is framed and action against other shopkeepers and policemen is taken, I cannot think of taking this money,’’ he said burying his head in his hands.The DM, however, persisted and refused to give up begging and urging them to accept the money. ‘‘I’m thinking about tomorrow when people will take to the streets. Please take the compensation this will send the right message,’’ the DM told a shell-shocked Laxman Singh.But Laxman Singh — who looked devastated by the end of the meeting — politely refused. His 17-year-old son Nishant who heard about his brother’s death a day late, however, could not keep quiet. ‘‘You put that cheque on my head and shoot me,’’ he said breaking down into tears.‘‘Papa give Sir Rs 5 lakh and let him promise that innocent people will not be killed like this in Bihar,’’ he continued. ‘‘There were sixteen bullets in my bhaiyas’ bodies. Where was everyone when we were trying to get my brother’s body?’’Twenty-year-old Prashant Singh had been selected for an Indian Navy diving course at Kochi and had come home a day before he was shot dead. Prashant, along with his friends Vikas Singh, a student of computer hardware and Himanshu Yadav, a clerk in the secretariat, were allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the police on the instigation of an STD booth-owner Gautam Kamlesh. Soon after the killings, mobs had taken to the streets protesting the violence burning down police vehicles.A determined DM then asked them to agree in principle that they would take the money. ‘‘Why are you insisting like this. This is very strange,’’ asked one of Prashant’s uncles, who then walked out unable to take the pressure. ‘‘I’m thinking of tomorrow. If you don’t take this money there will be violence on the streets of Patna,’’ the DM repeated.But the father shook his head and said that he would issue an appeal to ask people not to riot on the streets. ‘‘I don’t want violence to break out. I appeal to everyone to not resort to violence,’’ he said and added that he could not accept the money now.The same drama played itself out in the other two youths’ house also. At Vikas Yadav’s house, unable to take the pressure, the family reluctantly accepted the money. The family — which runs a sweet shop in the same area — was dependent for their livelihood on 22-year-old Vikas who was the eldest son in the family.But at Himanshu Yadav’s house the family refused to take the money saying that they couldn’t take money at this point. Tomorrow both the BJP and CPI-ML have given a bandh call over the killing of the three boys. ‘‘Please we don’t want politics to come into this. But people are angry and they will all gather at Ashiana mode, nobody can stop that. My bhaiya’s friend are coming from Delhi. even they will be on the streets,’’ said Nishant.But the families’ trauma did not end with the DM’s visit. A galaxy of politicians visited the family today. Today Union Defence Minister George Fernandes, leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Sushil Kumar Modi, BJP state president Nand Kishore Yadav, former union health minister C.P. Thakur and Sharad Yadav went one after the other to meet the families. ‘‘Prashant’s father hasn’t slept or eaten properly since his son died and all these politicians have been visiting,’’ said Prashant’s uncle. ‘‘We just want justice, not money.’’
