Jaipur: Bodies of four members of a family from Rajasthan’s Jaipur, including a two-year-old boy who were among the nine persons who died in a terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday evening were taken to their homes in Harmara and Chaumu on June 11 where their last rites will be performed.
The members of the family from Chomu near Jaipur who died were identified as Pooja Saini, 30, her two-year-old son Levansh, Pooja’s paternal uncle Rajendra Saini, 44, and Rajendra’s wife Mamta, 40. Pooja's husband Pawan has been seriously injured, police said.
After the post-mortem was conducted on Monday, the bodies were sent to Jaipur by 10 am today from where they were taken to Ajmeron Ki Dhani of Harmara and Chaumu, police sources said.
Family members said that Pawan, Pooja, their son Livansh along with relatives Rajendra and Mamta had gone to visit Vaishnodevi on June 6 from where they headed to Shivkhodi. While on the way to Reasi, terrorists opened fire at the vehicle carrying pilgrims around 6.10 PM on Sunday, killing nine and injuring 41.
The 53-seater bus, on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to Katra, veered off the road following the barrage of gunfire and fell into a deep gorge near the Teryath village of the Poni area. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), State Investigation Agency (SIA) and Forensic department teams visited the spot of the terror attack and initiated a probe, they said.
Angry and sad, the family members of the deceased demanded strict action against the terrorists, claiming the attack to be an assault on the Sanatan Dharma.
"The central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration should immediately take strict steps to prevent such incidents and also ensure that such terrorist attacks do not recur ever again," a family member added.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajendra Gehlot consoled the victim's family after meeting them. "I will convey your demands to the government officials. I have decided to adopt Rajendra-Mamta Saini's children and bear their educational and financial expenses. I will also personally speak to the government to provide financial help to these families," he added.
Speaking of combatting terrorism, Ramlal Sharma, former MLA of Chaumu assured to the people that the Government of India would give a befitting reply to terrorism. "We will not spare anyone. The government stands with the victim's family and will punish anyone who is found guilty," he added.
Heavy police contingent was deployed at the railway station when the bodies arrived. Jaipur Collector Prakash Rajpurohit ensured proper arrangements for transporting the bodies to their homes. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma condoled the death and said state government officials have been directed to coordinate with the officers of Jammu and Kashmir to bring back the bodies.
"The news of the death of four people from Jaipur district in the cowardly attack on the bus of pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir is sad," he said.
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