The death of Santokh Singh, grandfather of Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah, created shockwaves at Kiccha in Uttarakhand. The body of Santokh was recovered from Sabarmati River in Ahmadabad (Gujarat) on Sunday.
According to reports the cricket’s family allegedly refused meeting the grand old man of Bumrah family.
Eighty-four-year-old Santokh’s last wish was to embrace his grandson. Leading a miserable life, facing acute financial crises, Singh was anyhow making the two ends meet by operating an auto rickshaw at Kiccha town in district Udham Singh Nagar.
Santokh left for Ahmadabad on 30 November to make a last effort to unite with his family members. Satpal Singh Kamra, friend of Santokh and resident of Kiccha, says, “I spoke to Santokh ji almost 3-4 days back. He was to return to Kiccha on 15 December. When I asked him about the update, he informed me that his friends and Ramgadia Samaj people are making efforts. The death is painful and sad.”
The bad days for Santokh Singh started after he left Ahmadabad over a decade back. He came to Kiccha and spent his money in running an auto-rickshaw business- which failed. Bumrah’s grandfather and uncle Jaswinder Singh (48), who is physically handicap, lives in a rented house.
Santokh was staying at his daughter Rajendra Kaur’s house in Ahmadabad, during his recent visit. He went missing on Friday and the family members filed a missing person report with the local police. The body of Santokh was found in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Statesman carried a report on the Santokh Singh in July this year and on the family differences issue he had said at that time, “I lost my son Jasbir Singh, father of Jasprit, in 2001. Cricketer’s mother Daljit, possibly got hurt that I failed to take care of them after they suffered the loss. But, I was struggling here and not in any position to help them.”
At Kiccha town people remembers Santokh as a simple person. The public is more pained by the struggle he has to face in last part of his life.