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| Those 19 hours | | After a brush with destiny, Billoo’s family searches life | | Sumit Sharma
Jammu | Aug 28
Blood stains may go soon from their corridor and the holes in walls may soon be filled up, but for Kajal, 4, the 19 hours ordeal of the bloody Wednesday in Chinore area of Jammu outskirts may remain a nightmare to haunt the life ever after.
One of the longest and toughest gun battles between security forces and militants in the insurgency history of Jammu and Kashmir was called off well past midnight after last of the three ultras was killed by security forces. Chinore area in general and the family of Billoo Ram and his neighbours, however, are yet to come to terms with the life. In fact, it is too difficult for the family and their neighbours, who saw and faced it all bravely, to resume a normal life so soon.
Billoo Ram’s daughter Kajal is among the six members of the family who had a near total brush with life. For Kajal and her nine year old sister Sheetal, it is still difficult to gather the words and narrate the incident. Though they were not fired at but for 19 hours they saw themselves oscillating between life and death almost every minute.
Chinore encounter is stated to be one of the longest encounters which lasted for about 19 hours. Three militants barged into the house of shopkeeper Billoo Ram early in the morning who was at that time admitted in GMC hospital following a snake bite the previous night.
When EARLY TIMES team visited the terrorized and harassed family, narrating the whole episode Billoo Ram said that he was at that time in the hospital when councilor of the area Subash Chander on phone informed him that militants had barged into his house and taken the family members hostage. Nine members were at home at that time including four children identified as Arshad, Kajal Devi, Shital Devi and Vipan Kumar and Ashok Kumar, their tutor who was living there on rent, Tarseem Lal Ritu Devi, Tarseem’s wife and mother Biro Devi.
Billoo was then taken to the site by the police and was asked to explain the location of rooms of his house on which security forces made strategy to kill the militants. Sunita Devi wife of Biloo Ram said that at about 6.30 early in the morning Sanjeev Chib, their neighbour, knocked their door which was opened by Tarseem Lal, Biloo Ram’s brother. They were shocked to see Sanjeev on gun point of militants and at once they entered into their house. Militants who were three in number locked the door and one of them took their mother on the upper story intending to use her as human shield and took position there while rest of them positioned themselves in the lobby.
During firing children started crying and one of the militants threw bed sheet over them intending to kill them. Then suddenly the militant who took position on the upper storey jumped outside intending to escape but was killed which changed their strategy till then children with his aunt Ritu Devi rushed to another room. Militants then shot dead to Ashok Kumar.
They then asked to Sunita Devi to come out with the children to the lobby who went to the room and locked the room. They while firing outside asked to Tarseem Lal to go to room and took the family out. Tarseem Lal then knocked the door and entered the room. Militants then fired rounds to the room through the door resulting bullet shots to Sunita Devi at his thai.The whole family was shut in a room. Till then security forces fired tear gas shell in the rooms. One of the militants rushed outside firing at army men and was killed by the army men. Other militant was also got bullet injuries and succumbed to injuries.Security forces then rescued to the family members. When they came out bodies of the six persons including the militants were laid outside.They were later rushed to GMC hospital for medical check up. When inquired to children about the situation they faced Kajal Devi one of the four children said that Militants drank their milk in the kitchen without asking them if they were hungry.
Pertinent to mention here at least eleven persons have been killed and six injured in the incident.The deceased have been identified as JCO BB Prakashan,Vijay Kumar,Shabeer Husain,Nasib Singh, Sirsa Ram who died of heart attack in the area,Shyam Murari, Sanjeev Chib alias Kalu Ram and Ashok Kumar besides three militants. |
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