SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 3: MP, MLA, administrative officers, politicians and social activists paid rich floral tributes to Randhir Verma who was posthumously awarded Ashok- Chakra on his 32nd martyr day on Tuesday.
Dhanbad MP PN Singh, Sadar MLA Raj Sinha, former union minister Rita Verma, deputy commissioner (DC) Sandip Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sanjiv Kumar, rural superintendent of police Reeshma Ramesan and Cong district president Santosh Singh paid floral tributes to Randhir Verma Chowk based life-size statue of late Randhir Verma.
The organizer of Randhir Verma Trust said that in wake of possible Covid danger this year public condolence meeting was cancelled and only the floral tributes programme was organised.
On January 3, 1991, the then Dhanbad superintendent of police Randhir Verma was martyred while fighting alone with Khalistan supporter terrorists who were robbing Binod Market-based Bank of India near Court at around 10.15 am.
After being shot at by terrorists, he killed four of them. Getting information at his official residence Randhir Verma reached the bank along with body guard and challenged them before the Sadar police team reached that bank which was hardly 200 metres away.
For his sacrifice and for eliminating the dreaded terrorists of Punjab, Randhir Verma was posthumously given the highest honour of the country Ashok-Chakra Award on January 26, 1999.
It could be said twist of fate that Randhir Verma was the president of the undivided Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) and had been made observer of the India- England one-day international match scheduled to be played at Cuttack Barabati Stadium on January 2, 1991. The match was cancelled due to unavoidable reasons and Randhir Verma cancelled his visit.
His well-wishers say he would have been alive had been one-day international match not cancelled.
People’s representatives, administrative officers and political leaders recalled the contribution of the late SP, However former union minister and four times Dhanbad MP Rita Verma ( wife of Randhir Verma) rued that rather than giving him due honour Dhanbad municipal corporation changed the stadium made in his memory
