Kotkapura bids tearful adieu to victims

Kotkapura : A pall of gloom descended in Kotkapura town of Faridkot district today as seven among nine, who were killed in a road accident at Bathinda late last night belonged to a poor family of the town. Tragedy struck when a Bolero jeep and a school van of Rajindra Public School, Panjuwana in Sirsa, had a head-on collision. The crash was so forceful that the upper part of the jeep was fully damaged. In the accident, 24 schoolchildren also sustained injuries. After first aid at the civil hospital, Bathinda, they were discharged in the morning. On the other hand, all nine persons, including a nearly two-and-a-half-year-old girl, travelling in the jeep succumbed to their injuries. After completing the legal formalities, doctors conducted the autopsy and handed over the bodies to the bereaved kin today. The deceased were identified as Roshni Devi (45), her sister Tara Vati (65), Tara Vati’s son Kuldeep (28), Roshani’s sister-in-law Ram Kali (48), Ramkali’s son Rajesh Kumar (31), daughter-in-law Santosh Rani (28) and granddaughter Deepu (3). Further, two of Kuldeep’s friends Pankaj and Rakesh (both in their mid-twenties) also killed in the accident. A large number of wailing relatives and residents of the town participated in the last rites at the Ram Bagh cremation ground in Kotkapura, in the afternoon. A sobbing Ved Parkash, husband of deceased Ram Kali, said: “Six members of our family were returning after attending a bhog ceremony of a relative at Sirsa last evening. As the train they were travelling in arrived late at the Bathinda railway station, they missed the connecting train for Kotkapura. With no other option to reach home, Tarawati phoned her son, Kuldeep, who was at home, to come and pick them up from Bathinda.” As Kuldeep was a driver, he was in the possession of a Bolero jeep of his master. He asked his friends Pankaj and Rakesh to accompany him, when they agreed, the trio left for Bathinda.

While returning they met with the mishap and all occupants of the vehicle lost their lives,” said Ved Prakash, whose throat chocked and tears started rolling down. The bereaved kin said the deceased, Rajesh and Santosh, had two children, while one daughter Deepu was also killed in the accident, they were survived by their nine-year-old son Prince. Speaking to the TNS, Prince said: “Though they all are saying that my parents and sister will come back, I know it well they are no more.” “Had I got up in time, I too would have left with them on Saturday morning, when they were leaving for Sirsa…,” he said and started crying. The pyres of eight adults were lit while the two-and-a-half-year-old child was buried at the cremation ground. A pensive manager of the Ram Bagh cremation ground, Hem Raj Sharma, said: “It is the first tragedy in the decade old history of the town, when eight pyres have been put on fire at the same time.” GS Randhawa, SSP, Faridkot, and Mantar Singh Brar, former MLA of SAD (B), were prominent among those who attended the cremation. Consoling the bereaved family members, they assured to provide the best possible support.