CHANDIGARH: Parkash Kaur, younger sister of Shaheed-e-azam Bhagat Singh died in Canada on the 107th birth anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter, whose self-sacrifice has remained an inspiration to fellow countrymen even to this day.
Kaur, who was the only surviving member of Bhagat Singh’s nine siblings, breathed her last on Sunday night, according to her Hoshiarpur-based son-in-law, Harbhajan Singh Dhatt. Even though the centenarian suffered from age-related ailments,she was in her senses till the very last, said Dhatt, who had last met her in Toronto on September 14. Though Kaur was barely 12-years-old when Bhagat was put to death on March 23, 1931 she had vivid memories of her late brother.
During her visit to Khatkar Kalan some years back she had recalled that Bhagat was a lively person.In fact, even eight decades on since the legendary freedom fighter’s death, Kaur had been pursuing the case of Bhagat being awarded the death penalty along with Sukhdev and Rajguru for allegedly killing of then British Assistant Superintendent of Police, John Saunders despite the fact that Bhagat’s name was not included in connection with the FIR registered in 1928 for the killing of Saunders.
Kaur, who was living in Canada with her son Rupinder Singh for the past one decade or so, had also taken up the case of the killing of Kuljit Singh Dhatt, brother of her son-in-law, who was allegedly killed in a police encounter.
Harbhajan said Kaur had fought the case for 25 years. And still she had filed an appeal for enhancement of conviction in this case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
“The police officers involved in this case were convicted some months back by a Hoshiarpur court after a 25-year-long legal battle,” he said .