Bodies of two blast victims sent to Gorakpur

Ludhiana, Oct 15 (UNI) No tears were shed as two coffins were loaded onto a UP-bound train at the railway station here this evening.

The coffins contained the bodies of 18-year Sonu and his 15-year old friend Bhandhan, both of whom were amongst the six who perished in last nights bomb explosion at the Shingar cinema here.

As the coffins were being loaded by a few who knew them talked about the 'Bhandhan' (bonds) between the two friends who had come here about three months back to learn embroidary. The two who had been friends since their childhood had planned to learn the finer art of embroidary and then go back home and open their own small shop.

" The two have remained united even in death", Dharmender, a leader of the local migrant labourers who knew the two said after loading the coffins.

Ludhiana SDM Jaswinder Singh who was present at the railway station said that the government was bearing all expenses of sending the coffins to Gorakhpur, the home district of the two friends. The government will also bear the expenditure of those accompanying the coffins, he added.

Sonu and Bhandhan hailed from a village in Gorakpur district and were residing in a colony on Samrala road with an acquaintance from their village. They were employed at an embroidary shop and were fond of Bhojpuri films and had gone to the Shingar cinema to watch the movie 'Janam Janam Ka Saath Hai'.

The other two victims who were identified were 22-year old Imtiaz and Shenshah (23), both from Bihar. They were buried by their relatives and friends at the cremation grounds on Rahon road as per Muslim rituals.

The two who were employed in a local factory had celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr yesterday and in the evening they too had gone to watch the Bhojpuri film at Shingar where they met their end. There were no close relatives to mourn their death.

Like most labourers from Bihar and UP, Imtiaz and Shenshah had come to Punjab to earn their livelihood. The incident may have led to a scare amongst the migrant labourers but a large majority of them went to work in the factories today.

The bodies of the remaining two victims are still lying at the civil hospital. Their bodies have been mutilated beyond recognition and in the absence of anyone coming forward the hosptal authorities are yet to perform a post mortem on them.

UNI