The wife of Shashi Abrol, one of the Jammu-based employees of Apco Infratech, was observing fast on the occasion of karva Chauth on Sunday when he was killed by terrorists inside the staff mess of a makeshift campsite in the Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district.
The incident has left the entire family in a state of shock.
Shashi, who has been working with Apco Infratech as a designer for over seven years now, leaves behind his wife and two kids. His elder son recently joined an engineering college in Bhopal and his daughter is currently studying in class 4. Shashi Abrol spoke to his wife for the last time via video call around 6.30 p.m. on Sunday.
His sister, who was consoling her sister-in-law informed visiting media persons, "My bhabi, dressed in her traditional attire and sporting 'Heena' on her palms, spoke to my brother on Sunday evening as she wanted to inform him that she was going to join special prayers on the occasion and would again call him past 8.00 p.m. at the time of breaking her fast.
The couple agreed to close the call after seeing each other for the last time. On her return when she started contacting her husband she received no response. "We told her that he may be busy at work but when there was no response from his side till late night we were worried for his well-being". "Till late at night no one from the Apco Infratech or the government informed us about the terror strike in their camp where he along with six others were killed. We came to know through the media in the morning when we read the newspapers that our loved one is one among those victims of the gruesome terror strike", Shashi Abrol's sister said. The family spent the whole day waiting to receive the mortal remains. LG Manoj Sinha met the family at their residence in Talab Tillo area.
In Kashmir, the family of Dr Shahnawaz Ahmad Dar wept inconsolably after learning about his death in the terror strike. Dr Shahnawaz was killed by terrorists while he was having dinner with other colleagues. He solemnized the marriage of his elder daughter last Wednesday and had promised the family to return home to welcome his newly married daughter as per their rituals on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Dr Shahnawaz returned home covered in a shroud early Monday morning. He leaves behind his son and two daughters. The entire village of Nadigam in central Kashmir's Budgam district mourned his death and assembled at his residence to join the funeral procession. Two cabinet ministers Javed Ahmad Dar and Sakina Ittoo visited his residence to pay their last respects.
A Jammu-based expert who often visited the Z-Morh tunnel site for technical audit remembered Safety Manager Mohd Faheem from Bihar and Anil Shukla from Madhya Pradesh as thorough professionals who were working round the clock at the location to ensure timely completion of the project. "They worked hard on the project site and when it was ready for the launch they wouldn't be present there. They sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The Nation must pay rich homage to them and stand by their families", the expert said.
