Punjab gives ₹2-lakh grant to kin of two Amritsar men killed in Srinagar terror attack

The body of one of the victims, Amritpal Singh, reached his native village Chamiari, near Amritsar’s Ajnala town, amid a pall of gloom

The Punjab government on Thursday gave an ex-gratia grant of ₹ 2 lakh each to the families of two workers from Amritsar who were killed in Wednesday’s terror attack in Srinagar.

A file photo of victim Amritpal Singh with his mother, Rajwinder Kaur. (HT Photo)

The body of one of the victims, Amritpal Singh, reached his native village Chamiari, near Ajnala town, amid a pall of gloom.

Initially, the family members refused to cremate the body, suspecting that he was beaten to death and pressed for the autopsy report. After officials from Amritsar Rural police pacified them, the last rites were performed around 4.30 pm.

The last rites of victim Amritpal Singh were held at his native Chamiari village in Amritsar on Thursday. (HT Photo)

The second victim, Rohit Masih, 25, also from Chamiari village, who was injured in the attack, succumbed in Srinagar at 8 am on Thursday. His cremation will be held on Friday.

A villager Gurjant Singh said, “Masih was the family’s lone breadwinner. He accompanied Amritpal as helper in carpentry work. He leaves behind his parents, wife and a daughter.”

Punjab cabinet minister and Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal visited both families and delivered the grant cheques. “The state government stands with the grieving families and will extend every kind of aid,” he said.

As per police officials, Jammu and Kashmir administration also gave families of both victims ₹50,000 cash each, apart from a cheque for ₹1 lakh each.