Community rallies around Bhavnour family after fatal robbery

Life took a tragic turn for a poor family from Bhavnour village in Talwara town of Hoshiarpur following a horrific incident on February 1, when Kulwant Singh (40) — the sole breadwinner — was shot dead by robbers at a petrol pump in Kapurthala.

Almost a month later, misfortune struck again as Kulwant’s elder brother, already suffering from a kidney ailment, also passed away. The two widows and five children have since been left to survive on their own in in a two-room house perched on a hillock in the town’s Kandi area. Their only source of livelihood now comes from a handful of dairy animals they rear.

Extending some help, the members of Petrol Pump Dealers Association on Wednesday contributed an amount of Rs 4.36 lakh and handed over the draft to Kulwant’s wife Rekha Rani. Paramjit Singh Doaba, association president said, “Kulwant Singh was working as a salesman at a petrol pump on the Kapurthala-Goindwal road. Three persons had come on a bike to loot the petrol pump. The attempted to loot Rs 7,500 but Kulwant resisted, and tragically, they shot him dead.”

Gurmeet Singh Monty Sehgal, the association’s General Secretary, also highlighted a serious lapse in the healthcare system. “After the incident, Kulwant was immediately rushed by the petrol pump owner to Kapurthala Civil Hospital. However, due to the unavailability of emergency services, he had to be taken to Jalandhar Civil Hospital. With no surgeon available at midnight, he was referred again to DMCH Ludhiana. Unfortunately, he succumbed to excessive blood loss by then.”

Demonstrating unity and compassion, association members pooled funds, collecting Rs 5,000 each from 80 out of nearly 110 petrol pumps in Kapurthala. “Some donors gave more —Rs 10,000 and Rs 21,000. All contributions were handed over to the family today,” added Doaba.

Regarding the police action, Doaba said, “Upon pressure from the association, the Kapurthala police had arrested the three robbers, all of whom were youth from the Dhilwan area of the district.”