A day after Aditya Sachdeva was brutally murdered in a road rage incident in Gaya, the parents of the boy who had just turned 18 on April 19, were in deep shock.
His mother, Chand, kept losing her consciousness and father Shyamsunder Sachdeva suffered from high blood pressure. A local physician visited the house to check him up. A host of relatives, friends and well wishers congregated at the three-storeyed house of the Sachdevas, where Aditya lived in a joint family comprising 10 members, including his parents, elder brother Akash, uncle, aunt and their two sons. The family was in shock and panic.
But everyone was ready to fight for justice. Everyone present at the house on the busy Swarajpuri Road kept recalling about the sober nature of Aditya. Every time his mother regained consciousness, she said it was Mother's Day on Sunday. "Instead of receiving greetings from my son, I had to see his body. Why did this happen to my son? What was his fault for which he was killed?"
Family members say Aditya was very caring for each and everyone and he never hurt anyone. His elder brother, Akash, said Aditya was preparing for competitive examinations to pursue a course in hotel management. Aditya had appeared at such a competitive examination in Delhi on April 24. He was scheduled to go to Delhi on May 12 again to appear for another competitive examination. He wanted to chart out a career in hotel industry.
Aditya had keen interest in sports. He had represented his school team in the inter-school football tournaments.
"Standing at 5'6", the boy of medium build had a magnetic personality," Akash said. "Our family is scared. But there is huge support from the society. We will fight for justice. I do not want to say that the murderer be hanged. But he should get punishment in accordance with the law. A speedy trial is needed in this case so that justice is not delayed."
Pratibha, the wife of Aditya's cousin Kamal Singh, said: "Aditya was of a very caring nature. He was also fond of listening to music. His school friends used to visit our house. His circle of friends was very sober."
Kumar Onkar Shakti, a friend of Aditya's cousin, Sagar, said: "I used to visit the Sachdeva house very often. I knew that Aditya was very soft spoken and had a broad circle of friends from every strata of society."
Shakti is the president of a voluntary organisation, Vande Bharat Mataram Foundation, which took out a candle march on Monday evening to demand justice for the victim's family.
