TALWANDI (KAPURTHALA): Harbans Kaur had gone through the anxious moments on the night of August 5 after she was told that a shootout at Oak Creek Gurudwara in Wisconsin has taken a few lives. She was relieved and thanked God after she could talk to her son Dalbir Singh (56) who had gone to the Gurudwara but had returned before the shootout.
However Dalbir was killed in the same town in the night of Thursday at the store of his nephew Jatinder Singh when they were closing the establishment in a reported robbery attempt.
The killing not only shocked the old woman or just Dalbir’s native village Talwandi but the Sikh community also as the incident has taken place just 12 days after the shootout at the Wisconsin Gurudwara, memorial meetings for which are still being held at several places across the world.
“Dalbir had gone to US in 2008 as his son is already settled there. Here also he was secretary of Gurudwara in the village and had strong religious leanings and there also he was member of the committee managing the Gurudwara in Milwaukee,” said Captain Balkar Singh, Dalbir’s brother in law.
“He would remain involved in Gurudwara affairs and was helpful to fellow villagers in hour or crisis. His one daughter is settled in Newyork, another daughter in Germany and one son in Portugal,” Balkar said.
“Our entire village is shocked. Dalbir was a very good soul and had cordial relations with fellow villagers. Though we understand that it was an attempt of robbery but villagers are wondering that why only Sikhs are becoming targets of bullets,” said village Sarpanch Harjinder Singh.
Here in the village Dalbir’s mother and sister in law Gurpreet Kaur live while rest of the members of the family are abroad. Villagers made a beeline to the house to mourn Dalbir’s death as the news about his death broke.
Meanwhile North American Punjabi association President Satnam Singh Chahal and chairman Dalwinder Singh Dhoot said that they had enquired from Millwaukee Police Department (MPD) and learned that they had ‘people of interest’ in custody at the time. A Lieutenant from MPD also stated that while this was an ongoing investigation, there was currently no evidence to indicate that this crime was motivated by anything other than a adesire to obtain money from the victims. The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, James Santelle, however, was quoted assuring the community that his office and law enforcement agencies would look at this case critically and ensure that the motive of this crime was thoroughly investigated.
News Source: Times of India
