Security guard Hawa Singh Yadav risks life to save Rs 137 crores, alone
A bank guard who single-handedly saved Rs.137 crore in a bank from being looted during Haryana’s Jat protests deserves the highest gallantry award for civilians, declared Union Minister of State for Defence Rao Birendra Singh. Former soldier Hawa Singh Yadav, 52, was the lone guard at the State Bank of Patiala in Jhajjar when a mob armed with crude bombs tried to storm it and break the strong room on February 21. Hawa Singh challenged and opened fire thrice at the hundreds of rioters lunging to loot public money. Shouting at the top of his voice from inside the bank, Hawa Singh warned that he had 25 bullets in his rifle and would not let anyone enter the strong room.
According to Business Standard, Hawa Singh said
It was a bank holiday that day. I saw miscreants barging in and setting my bike on fire after breaking the main gate. I opened fire when they ignored my warning and tried to break the bank’s shutter.
A few crude bombs thrown at the bank exploded a gas cylinder inside, triggering a fire. The attackers left when they realized they could not enter the bank because of Hawa Singh.
Yogesh Kumar, a soldier posted in Jammu and Kashmir and son-in-law of Hawa Singh, said that Hawa Singh called the police control room, fire fighters and civil officials but no one came to his help. Finally, he called his family members on his mobile before falling unconscious, Yogesh said. The family rushed him to a hospital where doctors said that Hawa Singh was recovering well after having inhaled smoke. Minister Rao Birendra Singh visited Hawa Singh at the hospital in Civil Lines and thanked him profusely. “Yadav saved more than Rs.137 crore in cash in the strong room and other bank lockers when a mob tried to loot the bank. “He bravely saved the public money. We will recommend the highest civilian gallantry award for him,” said the minister.
To stay updated with more positive news, please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.