Stony silence takes over this whistleblower’s teenage son

Rishabh kicks a stone around the cremation grounds in Dwarka. Barely 10 feet away, a funeral pyre is being prepared for his father. But on his face grief has been replaced by seething rage.

Rishabh kicks a stone around the cremation grounds in Dwarka. Barely 10 feet away, a funeral pyre is being prepared for his father. But on his face grief has been replaced by seething rage.

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The 14-year-old lost his father AK Sharma (58) in Wednesday's blast.

"Rishabh is not talking to anyone and is very agitated. His angst cannot be understood by those sitting in air-conditioned offices. He has lost his father at a very tender age," said a relative who does not want to be named.

Sharma was a Physical Education teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sainik Vihar. He was a swimming coach and led a delegation of young swimmers to China in 2005. But Sharma was removed from his job two years back.

"He was a whistleblower who filed cases of misappropriation of funds against his seniors. He was targeted and both him and his wife were removed from their jobs after false cases were filed against them. He had gone to the court against this decision on Wednesday," said SP Singh, a family friend of the Sharmas. The victim's wife was also a central government employee.

Sharma's relatives described him as an "anti-corruption crusader" and "an RTI activist". He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

"The family does not have any source of income now,” a relative added.