They all spoke to their families right from the scene of action, but nobody knew it would be for the last time. The four policemen killed in the encounter with Ghanshyam Kewat in Chitrakoot had called up their families from the encounter spot to tell them they were safe. Their families are now finding it hard to come to terms with the tragedy.

The deceased are Company Commander of the 42nd Battalion PAC, Allahabad, Beni Madhav Singh, Constable Veer Singh, Constable Mohammad Iqbal and Constable Shamim Ali.

“When the gram pradhan visited my home and informed us of the death of my elder brother Constable Shamim Ali in the shootout, we did not believe the news and contacted the local police station who confirmed it,” said Shamim’s younger brother Mohammad Irshad.

Shamim, 32, a resident of Baghpat, had joined the police in 1998. He is survived by wife Farman and had two children aged 7 and 5. Around a year ago, he had joined the Special Operation Group of Chitrakoot. “He was the sole earning member of the family. Shamim was transferred to Chitrakoot in June last year, but his family stayed with us in Baghpat,” said Irshad.

Hamirpur native Constable Iqbal was attached with the DIG’s security. Around 9 pm on Tuesday, he called up his wife and said he would not be coming home in the evening as he had to go Chitrakoot. When he got there, he called up his family again to assure that everything was under control. “In the morning, we received a call from a constable who told us that Iqbal was injured and had been admitted to hospital. We rushed to Chitrakoot where we came to know that he had died on the spot,” said Iqbal’s cousin Waseem, a government employee at Banda.

... contd.