As bullets rained, husband & son carried Nagpur woman to safety

NAGPUR: With bullets raining just metres away and heart-rending cries of victims and their families renting the air, the Roopchandanis of Nagpur are thanking their good fortunes to have escaped the Baisaran valley alive. It was a little dramatic, as an injured Simran was virtually lifted through rocky and slippery forested slope by husband Tilak and son Garv, but survival instincts drove them to walk on till they had reached a safe place.

Tilak said his wife fell twice while scampering through the forest, and fractured one of her legs. "When the firing started, we ran towards the forest along with several others. We did not look behind, but could hear the rattle of guns. Almost 100 rounds must have been fired. We knew there was no time to pause," said Tilak, who remained unscathed along with Garv. "It must have been an at least 8km trek through treacherous terrain, with Simran leaning on our shoulders. We reached a safe place and rushed to a private hospital."

"We returned from the jaws of death. It will take months for the trauma to heal," Tilak told TOI. The Roopchandanis were set to return home late Wednesday.