KANPUR: Anger swept across Dannapurwa village in Kannauj after news of the killing of two of its natives in a grenade attack in Shopian of Kashmir Valley arrived on Tuesday. The villagers demanded that the terrorists responsible for the barbaric act should not be spared and terrorism should be wiped out at at any cost.
Kannauj MLA and social welfare minister Asim Arun condemned the killings. He said that he was in constant touch with Shopian district police chief Tanushree and the accused had been arrested. Arrangements were being made to bring the bodies of the two to Lucknow by flight.
Kannauj district officials reached Dannapurwa under the limits of Thatia police station on Tuesday and consoled the family members of Ram Sagar (50) and his neighbour Maneesh Kumar alias Munesh (40), who were killed in a targeted killing late Monday night. They were attacked when they were sleeping inside an apple orchard’s tin-shed.
As per their family members, nearly 30 people from the village had gone for packaging work in an apple orchard in Herman village in August. They were led by local contractor Pintu.
“While 23 people returned around the ‘Karva Chauth’ festival, seven had stayed back due to non-payment of their wages. Among them were Ram Sagar and Maneesh, besides Ram Babu, Bhola, Monu, Pintu and Vinay,” they said, adding that the financial condition of the families of Ram Sagar and Maneesh Kumar is not good.
Ram Sagar owned one ‘bigha’ of agricultural land and was living in the village with his wife and two sons. After marrying his eldest daughter, he wanted to give a good education to the sons. Both husband and wife were taking care of the family by working in the village. Due to non-availability of work in the fields here after July, Ram Sagar had gone to Kashmir with the contractor to earn a livelihood.
Similarly, Maneesh, too, went to Kashmir to make both ends meet. His wife Pushpa said that brother-in-law Rambabu had also gone with the husband.
They also have one ‘bigha’ of agricultural land. Maneesh has two daughters and a son. For better education of the children and to improve the monetary condition of the family, her husband went to do apple stuffing work in Kashmir along with other villagers. “He used to get Rs 10 per box for stuffing apples there,” she said, crying bitterly.
District magistrate Shubhrant Kumar Shukla said that he had sent SDM Umakant Tiwari to Dannapurwa village. “Both the bodies are scheduled to reach Lucknow’s Amausi Airport by late Tuesday evening, from where they will be brought to the village by a vehicle via Agra Lucknow Expressway. All possible help will be given to the family members of the deceased,” he added.
Maneesh’s uncle Ashok said that he had spoken to Maneesh on the phone at 11 pm on Monday night. “He (Maneesh) had told me that the contractor had not cleared his wages, so he could not come. He had added that he will leave Shopian on Tuesday night and reach the village by late Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Sadly, Pintu apprised us on phone early Tuesday morning about the death of Maneesh and Ramsagar in the terrorist attack,” he added.
Similarly, Malti Devi, the wife of Ram Sagar, said that she had spoken to her husband on the phone at around 10 pm on Monday night. “He had told me about coming home on Diwali. In the morning, the information of his death was received,” she told media persons while weeping inconsolably.
Expressing grief over the killing of the two workers, Asim Arun called the bereaved family and consoled them. Arun also spoke to the superintendent of police, Shopian, Tanushree and requested for an early post-mortem and dispatching of the bodies by flight.
“SP Shopian told on phone that a terrorist accused in the incident has been arrested by the police. Police and Army are continuously running combing operation in search of the accomplices of the arrested terrorist,” said Arun further.
Meanwhile, locals of Dannapurwa, who visited the families of the deceased, said, the cowardly act deserves strongest punishment to the perpetrators. “Terrorists responsible for the barbaric act should not be spared at any cost, what will they get by killing the poor labourers?” they said.
Ashok, neighbour of Ram Sagar, said, “Killing of innocent people is unacceptable. Government should wipe out Pakistan-sponsored terrorists from Kashmir.”
