5L solatium to kin of boy killed by lightning

Salem: Tamil Nadu sports and youth welfare minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday announced a solatium of 5 lakh to the family of a boy who died in a lightning strike near Kondalampatti in Salem district on April 29. Soon after the announcement, the DMK’s east wing secretary S R Sivalingam handed over a cheque to the boy’s family on the same day.The class V student, K Gokula Kumaran, 11, died after he was struck by lightning while flying a kite on their house’s terrace near Jari Kondalampatty. The boy’s father Kamaraj is a handloom weaver. DMK functionaries had informed Udhayanidhi of the tragedy when he visited the district to participate in May Day events.“The minister immediately directed us to give 5 lakh to the boy’s family,” Sivalingam told reporters, adding that Udhayanidhi consoled the boy’s family over the phone. The family thanked chief minister MK Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin for the compensation.