Kapurthala gives tearful sendoff to its braveheart

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, July 29

Thousands of residents of Kapurthala today bid tearful adieu to brave Superintendent of Police Baljit Singh, who was gunned down by terrorists during Monday’s terror attack at Dinanagar.

People had started converging on his house since morning to pay respects to the officer as the family brought his body and began making preparations for the funeral. The markets in the town remained closed during the day.

Residents were seen raising slogans “SP Baljit amar rahe” as they stood outside his house, waiting for the body wrapped in Tricolour to be taken to the crematorium in a bedecked vehicle. The police band played solemn tunes as the ceremony began.

As the vehicle passed through streets of the town, residents showered flower petals on it. Shopkeepers, staff of educational institutes and government offices falling on the way and even street vendors stood all along barefoot with their heads covered and their eyes moist. The youth followed the procession in large numbers on two-wheelers.

Before the cremation, police personnel fired into the air as a mark of respect to the martyr. Prayers were held as per religious rituals. It was a touching scene as the family took off his uniform and shoes kept on his body before son Maninder Singh lit the pyre. 

DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, IGs, DIGs, SSPs and other police officers from nearby towns attended the funeral. Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, PPCC president Partap Bajwa, BJP state president Kamal Sharma, CPS Navjot Sidhu, former ministers Jagir Kaur and Upinderjit Kaur were prominent among those present.