Asaram verdict gives me hope, says wife of slain witness

SHAHJAHANPUR: It was only when Kripal Singh was murdered in Shahjahanpur in July 2015 that his wife, then five months pregnant, learnt that he was a witness in the case. “Had I known before, I would never have allowed him to depose in court,” Moni Singh said.
“My husband was everything for us and we are left with nothing now. The verdict has given me hope. The police and administration gave him no security,” Moni, who holds a BSc degree and has been struggling to raise her two sons, told TOI on Wednesday.
Moni said she doesn’t feel threatened by Asaram’s followers anymore.But life has been tough. “After Kripal was murdered, the Shahjahanpur administration had announced a BPL card for the family. It was cancelled this year when we applied for it online. My son’s school had waived his fees but they too started charging us. I am tired of making the rounds of government offices,” Moni said, hugging her two-year-old son who was born after Kripal, an LIC agent, was killed.
When TOI asked district magistrate Amrit Tripathi about the BPL card, he said, “I was not aware about it, I will look into the matter on a priority basis.”