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Preacher, mason and 17-year-old student: Victims of Amritsar grenade blast
The three vicitms of the grenade blast at a congregation at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar’s Rajasansi included an assistant preacher of the sect and a daily wage earner. The third victim was a student of Class 10.
The three victims of the grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan came from different family backgrounds as well as age-groups. Sukhdev Kumar was 58-year-old, Kuldeep Singh was 40 and Sandeep Singh just 17. Being the assistant preacher of Rajasansi unit of the sect, Sukhdev was holding the congregation when the attack took place. Kuldeep and Sandeep were among the followers.
Even as she lost her husband Sukhdev Kumar, 55-year-old Parveen was seen meditating calmly and trying to pacify others.
Her husband was a cloth merchant at Mirankot village on the outskirts of the city. He was given the key post in the mission keeping in view his service and commitment. “My husband had been with the mission for the last 40 years and was a committed ‘sewadar’ of the sect,” said Parveen.
Till the body of her husband remained inside the hospital, she was seen chanting hymns with folded hands. She spoke calmly to those who came to her to express condolences, asking them to remember God.
People close to Sukhdev’s family said his daughter is studying in New Zealand since 2014 and she was scheduled to return to India in January. “Sukhdev was desperately waiting to see her after four years, but destiny had other plans,” they said.
Family had high hopes from Sandeep
In the past, 17-year-old Sandeep Singh rarely attended the weekly prayer at Nirankari Bhawan whenever he came to drop his mother there. However, on Sunday, he opted to attend the ‘satsang’, unaware that the decision would turn fatal.
Sandeep was studying in Class 10 at Guru Harkrishan Public School, Ranjit Avenue. He was one of the two sons of Narinderpal Singh of Rajasansi. Narinderpal said Sandeep was bright and the family had high hopes from him.
Narinderpal teared up and his voice choked while talking about his son. He expressed his anger against the police for their failure to prevent the attack despite a statewide alert.
Sole breadwinner lost to blast
A pall of gloom descended at Bagga Kalan village where a family lost its sole breadwinner in the grenade attack at Nirankari Bhawan on Sunday. Kuldeep Singh, 40, worked as mason on daily wage basis. He is survived by his wife Sarabjit Kaur and four children — 20-year-old son, who is unemployed, and three daughters.
Sarabjit was seen praying for the well-being of her husband at the hospital as she didn’t know of his death till evening, even as Kuldeep had been declared brought dead. She said the family started attending the satsang at Nirankari Bhawan a year ago.
“My husband is admitted here but I am not allowed to meet him. May he get well as he is the family’s sole breadwinner. Who would take care of us in his absence,” she said. When she heard the bad news, the scene turned tragic.
Dharaminder Singh, her close relative, said the family was very poor. “Kuldeep’s son is a trainee mason and yet to start earning,” he said.
