Survivors too small to register loss, their uncertain future

FOUR CHILDREN OF TWO

BROTHERS WHOSE LIVES WERE SPARED BY THE ASSAILANTS ARE BELOW THE AGE OF 5

KAIRON (TARN TARAN) : Five-yearold Pari’s clothes were soaked in blood when she knocked at the door of her neighbour at 7am on Thursday to break the news that the elders in her family had been attacked. Of the nine people present when the attackers entered the house, she is the eldest among the four unharmed survivors who don’t yet know that they have lost their mothers.

“The girl was crying. She said her mother, grandfather and other family members had been attacked. I informed sarpanch Ranjit Singh. When we reached the girl’s house, we found five bodies,” said Jagmohan Singh, the family’s neighbour.

Four members of the family and their driver were hacked to death by unidentified people in Kairon village under Patti subdivision of Tarn Taran district in the wee hours of Thursday.

Those murdered were Brij Lal, alias Dhattu (60); his two daughters-in-law Amandeep Kaur (24) and Jaspreet Kaur (28); son Daljit Singh, alias Bunty (25); and the family’s driver Gursahib Singh, alias Sabha (35).

Amandeep and Jaspreet’s husbands Paramjit Singh, alias Pumma (24) and Bakshish Singh, alias Sonu (30), respectively, are undergoing treatment at a drugde-addiction centre in Tarn Taran. Brij’s fourth son Gurjant Singh, alias Janta (27), too, is a drug-addict and faces a drug peddling case. He was not home when the crime took place.

Amandeep’s two daughters Pari and Jasmeet (2), and Jaspreet’s son Amarjit Singh (5) and daughter Khushi (1) are now in the custody of their neighbours. Khushi has paralysis and needs frequent care. “Where will the children go now? Who will look after them? Drugs have destroyed the whole family,” Jagmohan said.

Brij Lal’s wife died last month in Amritsar Central Jail after being charged with drug peddling. Lal’s daughter Sarabjit Kaur is married and lives in Amritsar. Sarabjit said, “Children’s fathers are drug-addicts and getting treatment. I hope they get cured and start looking after their kids. My brothers started taking drugs after marriage.” She said her sister-in-law Amandeep had called up her on Thursday and she was concerned about her children due to the addiction of her husband.