Lensman Sodhi cremated with 4 other colleagues

PHOTO THAT COST A LIFE: Sodhi had ignored police warnings as he ventured forth to capture pictures.

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New Delhi: Photojournalist Ashok Sodhi who died in the gun battle between security forces and militants in Samba was cremated on Monday morning with four other colleagues.

Sodhi had reached the site in Samba sector, 45 km from Jammu, with fellow photojournalists as the plains witnessed their first terrorist attack after a gap of six years.

After reaching the encounter site, he focussed his camera on the house where the militants were holed up and spoke aloud, "where are the militants?" The cruel answer was a bullet, which came from the house and pierced his forehead.

Forty-five-year Ashok Sodhi was working as a photojournalist with the Daily Excelsior. He had ignored police warnings as he ventured forth to capture pictures of the house where terrorists were holed up.

While the security forces carry on their search operations, the victims of Sunday’s gun battle are coming to terms with the tragedy.

The Editors Guild of India on Monday mourned the killing of Ashok Sodhi.

His wife and brother are inconsolable. “I always told him to stay away from gunshot and firing and stay away from these incidents. I always told him to stay with the crowd. However, he would often say that if he had to die in an encounter, he would,” says Sodhi’s wife.