UP martyr’s kin resume dharna, demand head be brought back

The family of Lance Naik Hemraj Singh (28), who was killed and beheaded by the Pakistani Army on the LoC in Poonch sector on January 8, resumed their dharna on Sunday and vowed to remain on fast until his severed head is found and returned to them.

Hemraj's younger brother Jai Singh said his family was not ready to believe that the body which was brought to their house by Army officials belongs to Hemraj.

"Our family wants the head of Hemraj to be given to us. Since the body was brought by colleagues of my brother, so I believe he is dead but my family does not believe it," said Jai Singh.

Asked how he knew that the head was missing, Jai Singh said Army officials who brought the body had told them that the head was not with the body. "They did not allow us to to remove the cloth in which the body was wrapped," he said.

Hemraj's elder brother Pooran Singh said their mother Meena Devi hadn't had food and medicine since she got to know that the head of her son was not brought.

The others sitting on dharna include Hemraj's wife Dharamwati Devi.

Village pradhan Dharam Veer Singh and sub-divisional magistrate Anil Kumar Mishra, however, claimed that no dharna was being organised. The family is mourning the death of Hemraj, they said.

On Saturday morning, the residents of Shernagar village and family members of Hemraj staged a dharna at a crossing. Residents expressed anger, saying that despite Hemraj's sacrifice no one from state or Central government had come forward to meet the family. Hemraj's family also demanded that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav come to their village. Late afternoon the dharna was called off after persuasion from the administration.

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