She died in blaze, but not before saving 5

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 26

“My daughter was extremely happy to get a gold ring from me on her birthday and told me that she would wear it for the rest of her life. See, she has fulfilled her promise," said an inconsolable Rashminder Kaur, mother of 20-year-old Jasmeet Kaur, who sacrificed her life to save her five colleagues in a fire at Noida on April 19.

She could wear the ring for only two days, said Rashminder Kaur with tears in her eyes. Mohali girl Jasmeet Kaur had celebrated her 20th birthday on April 17 and after two days, the braveheart died after saving the lives of her five colleagues when a major fire broke out at her workplace on April 19.

“Like the captain of a ship, Jasmeet preferred to save her subordinates instead of coming out of the building, engulfed in fire. She made a call to her mother at 1.20 pm on the fateful day asking her to call up the fire brigade and inform about the office fire as she was not able to get through. Then we could not contact her,” said Surjit Singh, maternal uncle of Jasmeet.

Remembering her talented daughter, who was the sole breadwinner of their three-member family, including Rashminder’s nine-year-old son Sehajpal Singh, the mother said Jasmeet Kaur was a god-gifted child. “Jasmeet had started earning for the family around a year and a half ago. She was an HR manager at the Noida-based Excel Green Private Limited and was also pursuing her studies (BA Part II (honours),” said Rashminder, who has been living separately from her husband following a dispute. For nine-year-old Sehajpal Singh, his "didi will soon come and help him in his studies".

Jasmeet, who did her schooling from Swami Ram Tirtha Public High School at Phase IV here, was popular among her teachers and students. “A number of staff members and students visited our house at Gilco Valley after hearing of the shocking news,” said Jasbir Singh, maternal grandfather of Jasmeet.

Family members said Jasmeet had got several offers for modelling. Noida-based Shaan, Saddam and Saud, who were like brothers to Jasmeet, said they had never seen a brave and talented girl like her.

She deserves honour: MLA

“Jasmeet made all of us proud with her supreme sacrifice. She deserves top-class honour. I will discuss her sacrifice in the Vidhan Sabha and the state government will do whatever it can for the family,” said Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu.