Three friends dead, fourth fights for life

MAUR (BATHINDA): Three schoolboys who died in the twin IED blasts at Maur town of Bathinda on Tuesday evening, wanted to fly kites on Basant Panchmi but died just a day before.

Jap Simran Singh (14), Saurav Singla (13) and Ripandeep Singh (10) were strolling near their homes, on Maur’s Truck Union Road, when the explosions took place and engulfed them in flames. Their friend, Ankush (11), was with them and is battling for life at a hospital with severe burns.

Jap, son of an automobile spare parts shop owner Khushdeep Singh, was studying in Class IX at

Punjab Police School

in Mansa. Saurav, son of a grocery shop owner Rakesh Kumar, was a student of Class VII at DAV School, Maur. Late Sepoy Kala Singh’s son Ripandeep was studying in Class V at Bachpan School, Maur. “They were friends and had planned to fly kites on Wednesday morning, but nobody knew they would leave,” said Jap’s aunt Bani Preet Kaur.

Jap’s youngers sister, Balreet, was inconsolable. “She is studying in Class VI. The two used go to school together,” Bani said, adding that everything had been changed for the family.

An inconsolable Rakesh questioned why his son died such a tragic death. “What wrong did my son commit to deserve this? Government may come and go, but we have lost everything,” he said. Overcome with grief, Rakesh could not speak further.

Close relatives of Ripandeep were in shock. A distant relative, Gurmukh Singh, said Ripandeep’s father Kala, who was a sepoy in the Army, had died some years ago and was living with his uncle Kirtan Singh. Bani said they were now praying that Ankush survives. “At least one of them should live on,” she said.