Never thought this would be his last visit home, says CRPF soldier’s father

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Updated: Feb 15, 2019 13:53 IST

Shyam Babu came home to Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat district last week. And on Thursday he was killed in the suicide bomb attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.

Babu’s farmer father Ram Prasad said the news of his death has devastated his daughter-in-law, Rubi Devi.

“He had just left to join duty on February 10 but we never even thought that this would be his last visit to the family,” Ram Prasad said.

“The police had informed about his death around 7pm on Thursday. His wife suffered a severe stroke of trauma,” the bereaved father said.

Shyam Babu, 30, belonged to Raigawan village of Derapur sub-division of Kanpur Dehat. Eldest among two brothers, Shyam Babu married Rubi six years ago and has a son and daughter.

Ajit Kumar alias Azad, a resident of Loknagar in Unnao, was also killed in the terrorist attack in Pulwama. He was also the eldest among five brothers and has two daughters. One of his brothers is in the Indian Army.

They were among the 12 CRPF soldiers from Uttar Pradesh who were killed in the suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday afternoon. They were travelling in a bus, which was a part convoy of 78 vehicles with more than 2,000 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, that was reduced to a mangle after the suicide bomber rammed into it.

India said that the “heinous and despicable act” has been perpetrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation proscribed by the UN and other countries.

Also read: CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama terror attack were returning from leave

And, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday delivered a sharp warning to Pakistan and terror groups operating from across the border after CRPF jawans were killed in a deadly terror attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama. Modi, who was speaking to an event to flag off the country’s fastest train, said the country will give a strong reply to this attack.

“If our neighbour, which is totally isolated in the world thinks it can destabilise India through its tactics and conspiracies, then it is making a big mistake,” the Prime Minister said without naming Pakistan.

Uttar Pradesh’s principal secretary (home) Arvind Kumar said the state government would give Rs 25 lakh to the families of each of 12 soldiers killed in the Pulwama terror attack. One of their family members will also get a government job and a road will be named after them, Kumar said.

The UP government has also announced that the last rites would be done with full government honour. A minister would also be present during the last rites of all the 12 soldiers killed in the attack.

Also read | You’ve committed a huge mistake: PM Narendra Modi to Pakistan after Kashmir attack