Dreams Turn to Ashes: Young High Court Lawyer Jagrati Shukla Given Tearful Farewell in Prayagraj
The brothers whose wrists were once adorned with Raksha Bandhan threads by advocate Jagrati Shukla carried her lifeless body on their shoulders for her final journey on Tuesday.
Abhishek and Om, her younger brothers, could never have imagined that they would one day bid farewell to their beloved sister in such heartbreaking circumstances.
As they lifted her bier, their trembling hands reflected the immense grief that had engulfed the family.
Joining them in carrying Jagrati’s mortal remains was her father, Pawan Shukla. The pain of a father shouldering his daughter’s body was almost unbearable to witness.
Overcome with sorrow, he struggled to hold back tears while giving his daughter a final farewell.
The last rites were performed at the Daraganj cremation ground, where he lit the funeral pyre amid an atmosphere of profound grief.
Jagrati’s mother, Uma Shukla, remained inconsolable at home, devastated by the tragedy.
Hundreds of advocates from the Allahabad High Court gathered to pay their respects.
Following her death during treatment at Lucknow’s SGPGI, her body was brought home on Monday evening at around 5:30 pm.
Her final procession began at 7 am on Tuesday and proceeded to the Daraganj crematorium.
Originally from Veerkaji village in the Phulpur area, the Shukla family has been residing in Tulapur village in Jhunsi for the past one and a half decades.
Jagrati’s father works as a vehicle driver at Sindhu Vidya Mandir School in Alopibagh.
The eldest among three siblings, Jagrati had recently completed her law degree from CMP Degree College and had begun practising at the Allahabad High Court.
As the only sister to her two younger brothers, she was the centre of affection within the family.
She aspired to become a Civil Judge and fulfil the dreams her parents had cherished for her future.
However, the tragic accident that occurred on the morning of May 20 shattered those aspirations forever, leaving behind only memories of a promising life cut short.
Family members struggled to console her grieving father, who repeatedly broke down while saying that the daughter he had hoped to send away in a wedding procession was instead leaving home on her final journey.
Relatives gathered around him, offering support as he battled overwhelming sorrow.
Jagrati’s grandparents, Ravindra Shukla and Nirmala Shukla, also bid an emotional farewell to their granddaughter, carrying the weight of an unimaginable loss.
A large number of legal professionals attended the cremation to pay tribute to the young advocate.
Among those present were former High Court Bar Association President Ashok Singh, General Secretary Akhilesh Sharma, Vice-President Amit Singh Sonu, Rai Sahab Yadav, Ravi Srivastava, Dharmendra Srivastava, Alok Mishra, Raj Singh and several other members of the legal fraternity.
Given the sizeable gathering, elaborate security arrangements were put in place.
ACP Jhunsi Kunjlata, along with personnel from multiple police stations, remained deployed at the Daraganj cremation ground throughout the funeral proceedings.
