Patna, Oct 30: Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav today announced compensation of Rs three lakhs for the widow of Dharam Dev Rai, a resident of Uttar Pradesh''s Gorakhpur district who was beaten to death on a train in Badlapur in Maharashtra, after the miscreants identified him as a "North Indian".

The incident caught media attention as it happened in the wake of the ongoing raging controversy over harassment of North Indians, particularly those from Bihar, in Mumbai.

Lalu spoke to Dharam Dev''s brother Brahmadev about compensation and job this morning.

Rai (25) and his three friends were attacked by eight-ten people when they were on their way to Kurla. One of them claimed that they were attacked by a group of Marathi-speaking youths who abused them for taking up jobs in Mumbai.

Earlier in the day, Lalu also met family members of Rahul Raj, who was gunned down by the Mumbai Police on Monday after he had allegedly hijacked a bus at Kurla saying he wanted to take revenge against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

Assuring all help, Lalu said the slain youth was "not a hardened criminal" or a terrorist to have been gunned down by the police. (ANI)