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Survived the dark days of militancy but couldn’t save my son: Dhakoli road rage victim’s father
Narinder’s son, Prince Kumar, 25, had gone to help a friend who had got embroiled in a road rage in Dhakoli, Zirakpur, last week, when he was shot dead.
Ferozepur native, Narinder Kumar, believed he had left the worst behind when he managed to survive Punjab’s militancy years. But little did he know that his son, born in the new millennium, would meet the fate many during those years had met – being cruelly snatched from the families in the prime of their youth.
Narinder’s son, Prince Kumar, 25, had gone to help a friend who had got embroiled in a road rage in Dhakoli, Zirakpur, last week, when he was shot dead. “We struggled our whole life. We moved from Ferozepur (Punjab) to Rajasthan when things started getting tough in the 80s. When the situation improved, we moved to Talwandi Sabo before finally settling at Panchkula. We managed to survive those dark days, but we could not save our son from this tragedy,” says the teary eyed father.
The 25-year-old had completed a degree in hotel management, and wanted to go abroad. “We did not want him to go far from us. So, he had started a mobile repair and sales business in Panchkula, took classes in Delhi and even travelled to China to expand his skills,” Narinder revealed.
The youngster’s friends are as proud of him as his father is. Bharat Bhushan, the friend whom Prince had rushed to help, a decision that cost him his life, remembers the 25-year-old as a disciplined, health-conscious, well-loved person. “He had no enemies. When I told him I was in trouble, he didn’t wait a moment to come to my rescue,” says Bhushan.
Bhushan was on his way back home on the fateful night when the accused, Kuldeep Singh, accused him of “staring” at him. The petty issue escalated and Singh shot at Bhushan in the leg and sped away. When Prince and other relatives arrived to help, Kuldeep allegedly fired again, this time, fatally injuring Prince.
Prince was rushed to a private hospital in Sector 21, Panchkula, where he was declared dead. Bhushan was referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education, where he is stable. “How can someone’s ego be larger than another person’s life?” Bhushan asks while also questioning the easy availability of weapons.
Prince’s mother was inconsolable. Apart from his parents, Prince is survived by an elder brother, who runs a booth in Panchkula, and a sister.
