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Mr Sudhakar R. Rao, Founder Chairman of Gemini Group and Gemini Global Hope Foundation, Mrs Radha Rao, Mr Prabhakar R. Rao, Managing Director of Gemini Group and Mr Sailesh Jatania, Advisor to the Chairman, announcing Dh500,000 financial support to the families of the martyrs of the recent Pulwana tragedy in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Image Credit: Supplied

Dubai: Some Indian businessmen in the UAE have come forward to support the families of India’s paramilitary personnel who were recently killed in the Pulwama terror attack.

At least 49 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed following a car bomb attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.

Two Dubai-based NRI entrepreneur brothers on Tuesday pledged to donate Dh500,000 (around Rs10 million) to the families of the fallen heroes.

At a press conference in Dubai, Sudhakar R. Rao, chairman and Prabhakar R. Rao, managing director of Gemini Group, said they would make the contribution through the Gemini Global Hope Foundation, a humanitarian trust of the group registered in India.

“This is the first donation that we are making through our trust,” announced Sudhakar R. Rao.

Apart from standing united, Prabhakar. R. Rao, said the nation should do everything possible to prevent such attacks.

The donors said they wished to channelise the amount directly to the affected families immediately with the guidance from the Indian Consulate in Dubai.

In a separate statement, Sohan Roy, founder chairman and CEO of the Sharjah-based Aries Group of Companies, said his project Indywood is taking the lead in setting up a support system for the martyrs’ families through Indywood Billionaires Club, an elite network comprising India’s wealthiest individuals.

“On the very first day [after the attack], 40 members of the Icons Dubai Billionaires Club came forward to offer Rs.100,000 each as an initial support to the families of martyrs from their respective states,” he said.

How you can contribute

According to Indian missions in the UAE, non-resident Indians can donate to the bereaved families of the martyrs through the site www.bharatkeveer.gov.in

The website accepts donations for the families of martyrs in eight categories of the Indian armed forces through a corpus fund overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, there is a limit of Rs1.5 million for each braveheart’s account. Any amount over this should be donated to the corpus to ensure maximum coverage.

“All martyrs’ families have received the maximum limit individually. Please contribute to Bharat Ke Veer Corpus Fund. This fund will also be distributed among martyrs’ families,” the website stated on Tuesday.