All victims from Mohali village

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 18

The festival of lights turned dark for a Kansal village family who lost six of its members in a road mishap in Mansa on Wednesday. Besides, two of their neighbours were also killed in the same mishap.

Sudhir Kumar, who could not accompany his family members, said had his father agreed to postpone the programme for some hours, all of his family members would have been alive.

“I did not get leave for today so I requested my father Partap Singh that we will go in night. He did not agree,” said Sudhir with a chocked voice.

Sudhir Kumar, who is a gym trainer at Chandigarh, lost his father Partap Singh, mother and stepmother Ramavati and Vidyavati, brother Anil Kumar, six-year-old nephew Rekit (Anil’s son) and sister-in-law Arti. Two other persons from the area, Hari and his five-year-old son, also died in the accident.

Anil Kumar’s wife Poonam and Arti’s husband Sunil Kumar (Sudhir’s brother) had also decided not to go because of domestic reasons.

Sudhir Kumar said it was an annual ritual of his family to go to the “pir baba” before Diwali to take his blessings.