Francis Indwar’s widow Sunita and their sons in Ranchi on Thursday. (Manik Bose) )

Ranchi, Oct. 8: Yesterday, hundreds had accompanied them to the Argora cemetery to pay their last respects to a braveheart officer. Today, Sunita, widow of Special Branch inspector Francis Indwar, and her three sons returned to the solitude of their small rented house in Harmu.

They had a couple of VIP visitors though. Adviser G. Krishnan and home secretary J.B. Tubid visited the bereaved family with a message from Governor K. Sankaranarayanan — the Raj Bhavan has decided to hand over a job letter to Sunita and compensation to the family on Saturday.

Tubid said Indwar’s widow would be offered appointment as a teacher in a government school. Sunita is an MA in history and also boasts a BEd degree.

Paperwork to clear salary dues of the late officer would be completed by this evening and the money handed over to the family on October 10, the home secretary said. Indwar had been working without pay since March because of red tape, a fact that was brought to light by The Telegraph today.

The state’s “largesse” after Indwar’s death understandably means a little more than little for his family. Indwar was the sole bread earner and has left behind 12 dependants, including a widowed sister-in-law and her five sons. Sunita is expected to step into his shoes now.

Still numb with shock, she said she would do what was needed to do. “Officials asked me my preference. I said I would like to work as a teacher at Balakrishna High School, Ranchi.”

Her nondescript house in Harmu was shrouded in silence today, the grief palpable in every corner. Sons Animesh, Amitesh and Abhisekh sat close to their mother, dazed.

“For six months, father did not get leave. Whenever we asked him to join us during festivities, he promised he would. The day never came,” said eldest Animesh, a Class VIII student of St Xavier’s School, Doranda, where his youngest brother Abhishek also studies.

Amitesh, a student of Class VI in Don Bosco School, Gumla, sat quietly beside his elder brother while Abhishek answered overtures of relatives. The family, yet to come to terms with reality, has decided to stick close.

“We do not want to go back to our village. Father had bought land for us here in the capital. We will build a house there,” Animesh said. The family hails from Bongaloya village in Basia of Gumla district, a rebel stronghold.