Baljit SIngh's family has been demanding government jobs for his son and two daughters
Relatives and well-wishers throng the residence of Baljit Singh in Punjab's Kapurthala, after the police officer sacrificed his life yesterday, while fighting heavily armed terrorists in Dinanagar area of Gurdaspur district near the border with Pakistan.
Baljit Singh is not the first martyr in the family, his father, Achhar Singh, too was killed by militants during Punjab militancy in 1984, he was a police inspector. Despite the government's promise of a job, Baljit Singh had to wait for two years before he was given a job in the police department. The officer's family is now concerned about their future.
"His (Baljit) dream was that his son should be an IPS officer while daughters would become PCS officers. The son should get the same rank as his father... The body will not be cremated till demands are met because this is no ordinary death, he sacrificed his life for the country," said Kulwant Kaur, wife of Baljit Singh.
Family members want a Superintendent of Police (SP) rank job for Baljit Singh's son, Maninder Pal Singh, 24, and the two daughters, Parminder Kaur, 22, and Ravinder Kaur, 20, should get a tehsildar rank government job.
The officer's daughter, Parminder Kaur said, "We will not move the body from here till we get letters of our appointment."
The Punjab government has announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each, senior police officers have refused to comment on the family's demands.
Seven persons - three civilians and four policemen, including SP (Detective), Baljit Singh, were killed by terrorists who stormed a police station in the district yesterday morning. After nearly 12 hours of a raging gun-battle, a group of three terrorists were shot dead by the Punjab police.