Punjab Outlook

Jalandhar: All of 20 years of age, Gurpreet Singh does not feel like
eating and can’t hear properly from his right ear, but is still
worried about how he is going to make ends meet in the near
future.The 20-year-old delivery worker’s scooter caught fire during
Tuesday night’s blast outside the BSF Punjab Frontier
headquarters in Jalandhar. Now, however, he is hoping for some
help. “I want to appeal to the govt for compensation for my
scooter, as my family is struggling financially,” he adds.
Gurpreet was initially questioned by police after his scooter was
found at the blast site. His father, Kashmir Singh, a former cook
with the BSF, said the family was trying to help him recover from the shock. “We keep telling him the worst is
over. Even his friends are trying to reassure him, but he is still in trauma. He is not eating properly,” he said.
Gurpreet, who works with an online delivery company, said he had gone to the BSF complex to collect a return
parcel. “I used to visit there regularly for deliveries and parcel pickups. I was standing near my scooter when the
blast took place. I ran towards the BSF gate and even my clothes caught slight fire. I could not understand
anything and called my father while crying,” he said.He said BSF personnel gave him first aid, while police took his phone during questioning. “For 15-20 minutes, I could not speak. Initially, I could not even hear the police officials properly. I still cannot hear properly from my right ear,” he said.Gurpreet said he suffered injuries on his right shoulder and back, a gash on his neck and pain in his right foot.
He said the police questioned him thoroughly but did not mistreat him. “Even the commissioner of police
questioned me,” he added.‘I was a victim, treated like a suspect’Gurpreet said he was deeply hurt by speculation linking him to the blast. “I was treated like a suspect even
though I was also a victim,” he said.