They still carry her burden

Till about a year-and-a -half ago, this family of five led a quiet life in their small house in UP Lakhimpur town. Now, this is the househol...

Till about a year-and-a -half ago, this family of five led a quiet life in their small house in UP Lakhimpur town. Now, this is the household of murdered poetess Madhumita Shukla, left to pick up from where the headlines left off.

The family of the late 24-year-old is not worried about talk of CM Mulayam Singh Yadav favouring main accused, former minister Amarmani Tripathi. They are worried about making ends meet and finding proposals for her brother and sister.

A few weeks ago, the ceiling fell in during the rains. 8216;8216;There is no money left8230;I am worried as Madhumita8217;s earnings from kavi sammelans have run out,8217;8217; says Shanti Shukla, her mother.

Madhumita8217;s elder siblings 8212; 34-year-old Vijay Shukla and Nidhi Shukla 8212; can8217;t find marriage proposals. 8216;8216;Who wants to get associated with our family which is at the centre of such a controversy? I have decided to not get married at all,8217;8217; Nidhi told The Indian Express. Shanti8217;s youngest son is an MA student but she is not sure he will study any further. 8216;8216;Don8217;t write his name or take his photograph. We have never brought him before the media. Let him be out of this all,8217;8217; she says.

When Madhumita was found dead at her residence on May 9 last year, Vijay was working as junior engineer in the electrical department of Modi Sugar Mill in Ghaziabad. He is unemployed since. 8216;8216;I am well-qualified and was drawing nearly Rs 10,000. My marriage had also been fixed in another two months. Then, all fell apart,8217;8217; Vijay says. He returned home after his sister8217;s death and stayed on for two months as the case took political overtones. 8216;8216;I lost my job hence. Since then, I tried to apply for jobs at numerous places but no one wanted to employ Madhumita8217;s brother.8217;8217;

Nidhi says: 8216;8216;We got numerous offers to let the case go but we are fighting for justice.8217;8217; Two days ago, the CM announced Rs 1 lakh relief to the family. 8216;8216;We need the money8230;but not at the cost of our self-pride,8217;8217; says Nidhi.

The CBI chargesheet in the case names six people, including former minister Amarmani Tripathi, wife Madhumani and his nephew Rohit Chaturvedi.