CHANDIGARH: Four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers from Punjab were martyred. The ill-fated bus which was blown off to pieces in the IED blast on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir killing 44 jawans of CRPF and Injuring a dozen was being driven by 44-year old Jaimal Singh of Moga in Punjab.

Their family vented their anger and demanded that the Centre should avenge the deaths by giving a befitting reply to the Pakistan-backed terrorists.

Singh had joined the CRPF at the age of 19 years, his wife Sukhjit Kaur fainted on her bed after she got this devastating news yesterday evening and her mother-in-law with a heavy heart was seen trying to console her.

Jaimal Singh a resident of Ghalauti village in Dharamkot sub-division of the Moga district was the driver of the bus which was blown off in the blast. He was born on April 26, 1974, and studied in the
village school and joined the central force on April 23, 1993, and has a six-year-old son.

Demanding that India must give a befitting reply to the terrorists and Pakistan, which is harbouring them, Singh’s father Jaswant Singh said, "my son spoke to his wife and five-year-old son on Tuesday night informing them that his company was being shifted to another place."

"We are proud of his sacrifice. It is high time that India should give a benefiting reply so that no other family lose their kin in such tragic incidents. The CRPF informed us that the bus was blown up by the terrorist late on Thursday night. We were informed that the bus was blown up by the terrorists," he said.

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As the news reached the village, hundreds of people thronged Jaimal’s house to console the grieving family and express their solidarity with them.

Another martyred jawan Sukhjinder Singh of Gandiwind village in Tarantarn district of Punjab is survived by his parents, brother, wife and a seven-month-old son. He got commissioned in the CRPF in 2002 and in 2012 Singh got married to Sarabjit Kaur and after many prayers, he was blessed with a son which is just seven months old and at the same time promoted as head constable.

He had come on a forty-day leave to celebrate the Lohri festival of his son and just on January 28 he went back to duty. Singh’s brother Gurjant Singh was given a call by the force that his brother is dead.

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"Everything is finished in our life, I came to know about the death of my son at 7 pm yesterday, since then his wife is inconsolable. After seven years of marriage, he was blessed with a son just a few months back. My grandson is just seven months old and he has lost his father, as he had come on leave and when he was leaving he was kissing his son and telling when I again come on leave you would be walking," says Gurmej Singh the father of the deceased soldier.

He further said, "The government should give an appropriate reply to Pakistan for this attack."

While two other martyred jawans were not married. Kulwider Singh of Rauli village in Ropar district too was martyred in the blast was the only son of his parents. "My son was to get married in November this year in nearby Lodhipur village," said his father Darshan Singh.

 Another martyr 27-year old Manjinder Singh Attri of Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district had joined the duty on February 13 only and is survived by his father Satpal Singh, as his mother is already dead. Satpal said, "his son had called him up after reaching Jammu and died the very next day. We are proud of him. My younger son is also serving in the CRPF and is presently posted in Assam."

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While in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Tilak Raj of Dewa village of Kangra district was martyred in this attack. Tilak has gone back to his unit only on February 11 after his leave, as fifteen days ago he was blessed with a second son, his elder son is of two years. He was a very fine Kabadi player and also a folk singer of repute. Layak Ram is farmer and brother works at a liquor vend.

While Jaimal, Sukhjinder and Tilak were of 76th battalion, Julwinder was of 75th and Manjinder was of 92nd battalion of CRPF.