DESPITE HAVING been interrogated for 20 days in connection with the Pathankot terror attack, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at its Delhi office, Som Raj, the priest of the tomb at Taloor village, was busy repairing malfunctional DVDs at his family shop at Narrot Jaimal Singh village on Tuesday, the day the investigation team from Pakistan visited the district to get an overview of the sequence of the crime. READ | Pathankot attack: Arriving to protests, Pakistan investigators retrace route terrorists took to airbase Known as Somi Baba in his village as he is the head of Panj Peer tomb, Som Raj said he was not called by any agency ahead of the Pakistan team visit. A sewadar (volunteer) at the tomb was, however, summoned by NIA at Pathankot on Sunday. WATCH: Pakistan JIT At Pathankot Surveying Areas Accessed By Terrorists [App user click here] The Panj Peer tomb at Taloor village hit the headlines after the Pathankot terror attack as the XUV carrying Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh, his jeweller Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal had begun its journey from here on the night of December 31. The vehicle was snatched by terrorists who later used it to reach the Pathankot Air Base. The team from Pakistan was, however, not taken to Taloor village on Tuesday, which visited Bamial village, which is around 12 kilometres from the tomb. “I was not invited by any agency recently. But one of the sewadar at tomb, Neta, was called by the NIA on Sunday. He was asked the routine questions about SP Salwinder Singh’s visit on the given night. We have nothing to hide. Neta also explained everything as it happened,” Som Raj said. He is the nephew of cook Madan Gopal and and his statement about sequence of events on the given night, allegedly didn’t match with that of SP Salwinder Singh and jeweller Rajesh Verma. “I don’t even own a cycle. You know the so-called babas (godmen) in this era live lavish lives. I have been performing sewa at tomb for around a decade and earn my bread from this shop. My elder brother Chaman made be skilled in repairing DVDs and TVs. This is my only source of income,” Som Raj said. “I am not afraid as I have nothing to hide. But it is true that my life has turned upside down after the Pathankot terror attack. I was in Delhi for 20 days and was investigated by the NIA. They were kind to me and gave me money for my daily expenditure. But I still had to spend Rs 100 a day for travelling from my brother’s room to the NIA office. My brother Sudhir lives in Delhi,” Som Raj said. He said that shop was on rent and run by both the brothers jointly. The tomb he looks after at Taloor village now has a boundary wall, which was constructed after the Pathankot terror attack. One of the devotees, Vijay got job with Border Security Force and he constructed this was as volunteer service, claimed Som Raj.
