"It doesn't matter that I cannot hear from my right ear or I lost the fingers on the right arm. What hurts me most is that I have not seen my son till date. My wife was pregnant when the blast occurred and I lost my vision," says Kuldeep Singh, adjusting the black goggles on his face.
October 29, 2005, was a regular day for Kuldeep, a DTC bus driver on route number 2922 (Outer Mudrika), until the sun began setting. Three bombs blasted across Delhi, one of which was about to blast inside Kuldeep's bus.
"I was driving when the passengers noticed an unattended bag in the bus. We had reached Govindpuri. I quickly stopped the bus to check the bag and saw red and blue wires in it, as shown in the movies. I thought it was a bomb that could kill all the passengers; so I took the bag and got out." recalls Kuldeep, whose alertness and bravery saved the lives of at least 70 passengers.
Kuldeep ran with the bag and placed it near a tree. No more than three steps after he moved, the bag exploded.
The powerful blast had an impact on his right side, which cost him fingers on his right limbs.
He also lost hearing in his right ear and completely lost his eyesight. Kuldeep now takes phone calls only from his left ear.
As he waits for the judgement, Kuldeep says: "I think the terrorists should be hanged on the road so that no one dares to take innocent lives. I know how it feels to be a victim. There should be zero tolerance against terrorism."