Gardener in khaki uniform had a miraculous escape

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 12

An employee of the sericulture department, Ganesh Dass, 54, had a miraculous escape on Wednesday morning after being shot at by militants at Jhajjar Kotli on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Dass, a resident of Dhami near Jhajjar Kotli, was in a khakhi uniform and was going to office when he was shot in the right arm by militants who probably mistook him for a policeman. He is at present working as a gardener in the sericulture department.

He was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.

“I left home around 7.30 am and was on my way to office which is a stone’s throw from my home. I was not aware about the presence of militants in the area. One of militants might have mistaken me for a policeman as I was in a ‘khakhi’ uniform and fired at me,” Dass said.

“I ran for shelter and hid behind a shop but one of them again shouted at me, saying ‘aaj nahi choduga tumhe’ (I will not leave you today). I had escaped the first three gunshots but he spotted me again and fired at me for the fourth time. The bullet hit my right arm,” Dass said.

“A few years are left for my retirement but when the bullet hit my arm, I thought it was my retirement from life. But I am thankful to the Almighty for giving me another chance to live,” said a teary-eyed Dass.