Mumbai: Nine years since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks but the wounds are fresh, quite literally, for the Singh family. The family was supposed to travel from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) to Allahabad on that particular night but the terror attacks changed their lives forever.
Poonam Singh (44) and her son Sachin Singh (14) are still recuperating from injuries caused by terrorist Ajmal Kasab’s bullets. Ms Poonam still has a bullet lying somewhere inside her body while the bulge on her son, Mr Sachin’s hand refuses to pare down despite repeated attempts at reducing its size.
Ms Poonam was at CST railway station with her father, brother and two children on November 26. They were waiting to catch the train headed to Uttar Pradesh. Due to the drastic turn of events however, instead of reaching her destination, she had to be rushed to state-run J.J. hospital, unconscious and bleeding profusely. Kasab’s AK-47 had pumped bullets into her body, which ripped through her lower right leg and shoulder, and she had to be admitted for life-saving treatment.
Meanwhile, her son Mr Sachin, too, had suffered a bullet injury causing a permanent bulge on his hand, which cannot be removed to this day.
Ms Poonam told The Asian Age, “I cannot forget the horrifying events of that night. I was happy as I was travelling to my parents’ place along with my elder son and newborn child. But the bullet that hit me and my son changed our lives forever. I cannot walk. I lose my balance. My husband is a private employee. We are continuing to lose money over my son’s and my treatment.”
