Santokh Singh had made two calls to his relatives, saying that he was going to meet his deceased wife — indica... Read More

RUDRAPUR: Santokh Singh, the 84-year-old paternal grandfather of cricketer Jasprit Bumrah was discovered dead under mysterious circumstances on Sunday with his body found floating in Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad. The octogenarian, a resident of Kichha in Udham Singh Nagar , had gone to Ahmedabad to meet Jasprit, but according to sources was unable to do so since “Jasprit’s mother did not allow him to meet her son.” He was reported missing since Friday afternoon by his family members and a FIR was also filed in the Vastrapur police station in Ahmedabad in this regard. Police officials are suspecting it to be a case of suicide.

Singh, once a successful businessman in Gujarat running three fabrication factories, was forced to drive an autorickshaw in Kichha after his business went bust. In an interaction with TOI in July, Singh who was estranged with his daughter-in-law (Jasprit’s mother) had expressed hope of “meeting and hugging Jasprit once before I die.”

Speaking to TOI about the details of the case, Sadanand Date, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Udham Singh Nagar, said, “As per the complaint registered with Ahmedabad Police, Santokh Singh had gone to his daughter's residence at Sonal Apartments in Vastrapur on December 1. He wanted to meet his grandson Jasprit on his birthday on December 5. However, he couldn’t do so. On December 8, he called his son Balvinder Singh who lives in Jharkhand and told him that he was ‘leaving to meet his deceased wife.’”

The SSP added that Santokh's daughter Rajinder had told the police that when her father and she went to meet Jasprit's mother Daljit Kaur at a city school in Ahmedabad where she works, she refused to allow them any contact with Jasprit. “According to Rajinder, Daljit refused to share her son's phone number with them. Santokh Singh was quite grief-stricken by this as per his daughter,” Date said.

Incidentally, Jasprit was playing the first one-day international against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala when his grandfather’s body was discovered. Meanwhile, the news of the octogenarian’s death evinced shock in Kichha. “It is extremely tragic that Santokh Singh had to go this way without fulfilling his wish of meeting his grandson. I feel extremely sorry for his family especially his son Jaswinder who is afflicted with polio and stayed with him,” said Dinesh Bhatia, a resident.

Santokh Singh had told this correspondent earlier this year how fate had dealt him a cruel blow in 2001 when Jasveer , his son and Jasprit’s father who assisted him in his business, died suddenly. “After his death, everything went on a downward spiral, I incurred heavy losses and had to sell my factories to repay loans,” Santokh had said.

In 2006, after moving to Kichha, Singh bought four autos which he gave on rent but incurred losses here too as a result of which he had to sell three of them. Eventually, he was forced to ply the remaining auto himself in order to make ends meet.

Terming it as “my heart’s ardent desire to meet Jasprit once”, Singh had said, “ Jasprit once played in my lap and is now playing for the country. It feels great to see him bringing laurels for the nation. I pray to god for his success and want to meet him once before I die. I want to embrace and shower my love upon him. This is the only desire I am left with now". Destiny though had other plans.

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