Jammu: Amid heart-wrenching wails, as the mother and wife of Deepak Chand kept on repeating – “We want nothing…. Just return Deepak to us”, their shrieks pervaded the air, moving one and all those present in their house at Patoli Morh in Jammu late Thursday noon, to tears.
Deepak, a government school teacher was killed by militants in broad daylight in school premises in Srinagar, along with his Principal Supinder Kaur this morning.
His wife Anuradha, who was simply inconsolable, could only say, “My husband was brave….he never wanted us to get scared…..even if he came across with something disturbing… he would never share anything with us. Just bring him back to me and my daughter.” His mother Kanta Devi could not control her emotions as she said that the government could not keep its word and ensure the security of her son. “We do not want a job…we want our son back,” she sobbed.
Deepak, a Kashmiri migrant, along with his wife and 3-year old daughter Mridu were living in a rented accommodation in Indira Nagar in Srinagar while the rest of his family was staying in Jammu. He had left Jammu in 2019 after he got a job under Prime Minister’s rehab package for Kashmiri migrants in Kashmir.
According to family, Deepak had last Sunday only returned to Srinagar to resume his duties after observing the first death anniversary of his father at Jammu. Deepak’s cousins Vicky Mehra and Amit claimed that the family had been getting threats from militants. “Kashmir is not a heaven for us,” they stated.
Vicky said that after he came to know about the incident, he tried to call Deepak on his official mobile number, but it was not reachable. “The members of the family told me some militants picked up that number later,” he alleged.
Deepak’s brother Kamal left for Srinagar this afternoon to bring his body to Jammu after fulfilling all legal formalities. His cremation will take place tomorrow.
Meanwhile Kashmiri Pandits also staged a demonstration against the killing of “civilians in Kashmir” and demanded “security for minorities” in Muthi, Durga Nagar and Jagti areas of Jammu.
J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu in a meeting chaired by its president M K Bhardwaj, condemned a spate of killings in Kashmir by militants in the last few days and unanimously decided to abstain from work on October 8, 2021. It also announced to hold a protest at 12.30 noon tomorrow against these militant activities in J&K.
JKPCC Jammu leaders, BJP J&K unit led by its president Ravinder Raina, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Jammu also condemned these killings and urged the government to immediately arrest this disturbing trend.