Bhagat Singh’s grandnephew and AAP activist Abhitej killed in mishap

Tribune News Service

Shimla/Mohali, May 29

Abhitej Sandhu, grandnephew of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and an AAP activist, died after he sustained grave injuries in a motorcycle accident at Maglad, near Rampur in Shimla district, about 135 km from here, late on Saturday evening.

He was admitted to Rampur hospital in a critical condition.

The 27-year-old, who lived with his family in Mohali, was on his way back from Kaza in the remote Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh on a motorcycle when the two-wheeler skidded. Abhitej suffered head and rib injuries.

Abhitej was the son of Abhey Sandhu, who had contested the last Punjab Assembly election on the PPP ticket from Nawanshahr in 2012, but lost. The two had subsequently dissociated from the PPP, and had been campaigning for the Aam Aadmi Party.

At the accident site, Abhitej was helped by passersby Vijay Kumar and Nadeem, who were also on the trail and stopped to pick him up. Abhitej informed them of his three friends who were also riding down. Abhitej was taken to the Civil Hospital at Khenari in Rampur in an ambulance of a hydro project at Maglad.

The Jhakri police registered a case of rash driving under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC.

Abhitej was an alumnus of Lawrence School, Sanawar, and his Facebook page was flooded with messages of shock and grief.

The body was handed over to his father after postmortem and taken to Mohali for the cremation, which will be held at Mohali Cremation Ground, near Balongi, 11 am on Monday.

Abhitej Sandhu had reportedly campaigned in Himachal, Delhi and UP for AAP, along with senior leaders.

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Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal mourned the death in a tweet: “May his soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to his family members.”

May his soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to his family members https://t.co/SNuNBTB4Sl

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 29, 2016

Grieving father Abhey Sandhu said: "Abhitej was a very active worker of the Aam Aadmi Party and was very popular in other states, including Karnataka. He was planning to contest the upcoming Punjab Assembly election on the party ticket, but God had some other plans."

Abhitej Sandhu’s schoolmates remember him as a brilliant student, a dedicated person and a fine player of basketball during his stint at The Lawrence School, Sanawar.

Dushyant Singh Chautala, INLD MP from Hisar, who was a year senior to Abhitej in the school, said he was very soft-spoken and an affable person. Dushyant was captain of the basketball team of the school while Abhitej played at right back in the team. Abhitej would readily take on all responsibilities handed to him, he recalled.

“I am unable to believe he is no more. His death is a personal loss to me,” Dushyant said.