Bolangir: Family members of Soumyasekhar and his grandmother, the two killed in the sensational Patnagarh parcel bomb, are yet to come to terms with their death as the heinous incident completes one year Saturday, February 23.
It was on this day that the bone-chilling incident rocked the nation and even grabbed headlines in international media. It will be one of the most horrific killings in history. The case gave sleepless nights to police after which the Chief Minister had to intervene and the case was handed over to CB after which the murder mystery was revealed.
As Soumya and Reema’s family sit together in their house that was completely damaged in the blast and has since been repaired, they can feel the sheer horror of the blast that changed the lives of the two families forever.
Constant news about the conspirator, Punjilal, is painful and boils their blood, Soumya’s father says they are waiting to see him hanged. Even hanging will be less cruel for him, he adds.
Recalling the fond memories of Soumya, his father Rabindra says, “He was brave and had a winning attitude and liked cricket. He had done no wrong to anyone. But, why is it always that good people face such bad consequences. We have to build a hospital and an orphanage in the name of our son,” Rabindra said.
Soumya’s mother Sanjukta Sahu holds herself responsible for her son’s death. “I cannot bear the fact that it all happened because of me. I wish I had died and my son had lived,” she says as tears rolled down from her eyes.
Recalling the entire incident, Sanjukta said, “It was in 2014, I was transferred from Jharbandh College in Bargarh to Bhainsa College. English lecturer Punjilal was the college principal then. However, the post was given to me in 2017. This did not go down well with Meher who hatched a plan to eliminate me and my entire family. After a year of research, he made the parcel bomb and committed the heinous crime. Had I known that a simple post would cost me so much, I would have never accepted the post.”
Meanwhile, Reema has vowed that she would never marry again and will forever take Soumya as her life partner. After her recovery, she has been staying with Soumya’s parents and taking care of them.
It may be recalled that Soumya and Reema were married February 18. On the fifth day of their marriage, they received the parcel gift that was sent by Punjilal through a courier. While Sanjukta and Rabindra had gone for duty and Reema was busy in household chores, Soumya and his grandmother opened the parcel when it exploded.
“I pray that no family goes through such pain. Our wounds will not heal through our lifetime. My only wish is to open an orphanage and a hospital for the poor as Soumya was very generous and always thought to help people,” Reema said.
PNN
