india

Updated: Feb 16, 2019 17:16 IST

Jaimal Singh, 44, the driver of the CRPF vehicle that was blown up after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden SUV into it in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, had spoken to his wife Sukhjit Kaur barely hours before the attack on Thursday.

Jaimal, 44, who belonged to Ghalauti village in Moga district had joined the CRPF in 1993 and had visited the family on January 28 last time. On the morning of February 14, he had spoken to his wife Sukhjit on the telephone and had told her that he was going to Srinagar. That phone call had lasted barely a minute. Later that day, Sukhjit Kaur kept calling throughout the day but failed to get connect.

“We don’t want to blame anyone (Pakistan). We’ve lost our whole world. The government and people will show their concern to the families only for four days and then nobody bothers. We have to spend our entire life and don’t know how we will face challenges. We have no demands from the government as earlier too jawans were killed in attacks. what has the government done for families,” she said.

Jaimal’s father Jaswant Singh said, “Our relative who is also in the army informed us about Jaimal’s death on Thursday. The government must take care of the families and must take strong steps against terrorism so that more soldiers don’t die.”

Jaimal’s cousin Gurcharan Singh said the government must avenge the jawans who had been killed. Jaimal is survived by his parents, younger brother, wife and minor son.

The villagers who were gathered at Jaimal’s house in large number said he was a religious, soft-spoken and down-to-earth person and that they were proud of him for having made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

Moga deputy commissioner, Sandeep Hans said the state will give compensation to the family as per the state policy.

Jaimal Singh was cremated in his native village Ghalauti, in Moga district. Union cabinet minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu had attended Jaimal Singh’s last rites in Moga. Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal too had visited Jaimal’s home.