Just before payday, united in death with dog he loved

It was his first posting in Mumbai, it was a job he loved, and he was days away from his first salary. Six days after joining, he died at his post, his payday missed, the body of his beloved dog beside him.

It was his first posting in Mumbai, it was a job he loved, and he was days away from his first salary. Six days after joining, he died at his post, his payday missed, the body of his beloved dog beside him.

Ravindra Kuwar, who loved dogs, was shot by the terrorists who had stormed Taj Mahal Palace and Tower on 26/11. He was guarding the hotel along with Lucy, his sniffer dog. He was shot in the throat, she riddled with bullets.

Kuwar and Lucy had a companion pair, Swastik Kadam and his dog, who were out on a walk when the attackers arrived. Kadam recounted tearfully the events of that day.

8220;Our shift began at 8 pm that day and we chatted together till 10 pm. At 10.15 pm, I stepped out to walk my dog while Ravindraji went inside the lobby to feed Lucy. Half an hour later, I heard gunshots and hurried back. It took me a while to understand the seriousness of the attack. I went and hid in a corner and called my bosses,8221; Kuwar said.

8220;It was around midnight when I realised that Ravindraji had been shot too. I saw his body being taken out of the lobby at 12.30 am. A bullet had pierced his throat. The bullet-ridden body of Lucy was found later.8221;

At home at Sarangkhede in Nandurbar, Kuwar8217;s family spoke of his love for dogs and the payday he missed. Kuwar8217;s family depended on him. His parents, Jagan and Jaiwanti, are both in their 70s; his sister Mangala 40 has a physical disability; his wife Aruna 25 is uneducated with two children to look after: Nutan is nine and Kuldeep five.

8220;His family has no farm or business in the village. His sister Mangala was born paraplegic. That8217;s why I agreed when Ravindra wanted to come to the city to earn. Now I have to live with the guilt that I sent him to his death,8221; said his uncle, Bhaskar Yadav.

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It was Yadav, a Railway Protection Force official, who had found Kuwar a job with Safe Security Guards, a private company providing sniffer dogs and handlers to the railways and five-star hotels in the city.

8220;Ravindra always wanted to work for the dog squad. Who could know his liking for dogs would spell his doom one day?8221; Yadav added.

Kuwar8217;s married sister, Kiran, said, Ever since we performed his last rites, my parents have been unwell. They don8217;t eat or talk; they sit in a trance. His wife is now thinking of travelling to Mumbai and working. She has her two children to think of. But she is uneducated. The entire family is in trouble.8221;

Sunil Mohite, owner of Safe Security Guards, offered a ray of hope. 8220;I plan to give the family Rs 1 lakh as compensation. But we are also waiting to see if any funds are forthcoming from other sources,8221; he said.