‘I’ll call after 3 pm’: Gandiwind jawan had promised wife just before attack

Gurbaxpuri

Our Correspondent

Gandiwind (Tarn Taran), February 15

Heartbreaking scenes were witnessed at Gandiwind village in Tarn Taran as families mourned the death of Sukhjinder Singh, who was killed in the terror attack in Pulwama yesterday.

His family was inconsolable. Residents from the entire village had gathered at the 35-year-old jawan’s house in solidarity with the family members who were waiting for the mortal remains of Sukhjinder, who had left for his unit on January 28 after a 40-day leave.

Sukhjinder’s parting words to his seven-month-old son are still resonating in the ears of his family members: “My son Gurjot, I will now return for a month-long leave. By that time you would have learned how to walk.”

Sukhjinder’s father Gurmej Singh said: “My elder son Gurjant had called his brother yesterday around 10 am but Sukhjinder said he was traveling with the CRPF convoy and would call back after 3pm. Then his wife Sarabjit Kaur called him around noon and he again said that he would call back after 3pm. Now, he will never call us back.”

Sukhjinder belonged to the family of a marginal farmer with less than two acres of agricultural land and had availed of the Rs65,000 loan waiver given by the state government recently. He was recruited by the CRPF in 2002 and was recently promoted as the head constable.

Shiv Sena’s Ashwani Kumar Kukku flayed the absence of the administration and state representatives at his house. Additional DC Sandeep Rishi said: “The martyrs’ mortal remains will be taken to Delhi or Pathankot where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay tribute to them. Later, they will be handed over to the families.”