In city lawyer’s death, family loses its ‘pillar’

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

A car tyre burst led to a horrific accident near Jagraon in Ludhiana on Thursday, killing three of a family and leaving behind a girl aged four months and a half.

The parents of both Sudershan Kumar and his wife Seema are inconsolable and did not eat anything for the whole day. Sudershan’s younger brother Anand is trying to put up a brave face and readies to shoulder the family’s responsibility. He says that each decision of the family was taken through Sudershan and that they have lost their ‘pillar’. Just like his mother, Anand’s sister is inconsolable too. A doctor by profession, she lives with her family in Abohar.

Sudershan Kumar (32), an advocate, also helped his father run a plywood shop in Burail village. His wife Seema (28) was a homemaker and their two-and-a-half-years-old son Dhruv was to start his schooling in a few months.

The victims were on their way to Faridkot to attend the ‘bhog’ ceremony of Seema’s uncle. However, their i20 car’s tyre burst on the Jagraon-Moga road and the car overturned, jumped the divider before being crushed by a speeding truck.

The mishap left Sudershan, Seema and Dhruv dead. Their 26-year-old maid Kajal is in the PGIMER in a critical condition. However, Dhwani, who was in Kajal’s lap had a miraculous escape and did not suffer even a scratch.

The girl lost her family before she could even recognise them. Currently with her relatives, it is expected that Dhwani will be taken care of by her grandparents.

The family was already going through a tough time as Sudershan’s father was diagnosed with cancer last year. Jagdish Rai Punchhi and his wife were inconsolable as they lost their son, daughter-in-law and grandson, all in one go. Punchhi is undergoing cancer treatment and is expected to recover as well. However, the couple refused to eat anything for one day but was forced to do so by other members of the family today.

Bar assn cancels Lohri celebrations

The Chandigarh District Bar Association (DBA) cancelled the Lohri celebrations scheduled to be held on the district court premises on Friday. DBA president Ravinder Bassi, who was present at the cremation ground, along with a large number of advocates, informed that it was done to pay homage to Sudershan.