“Pehlan Sidhu Moosewala, Deep Sidhu, fer apna Sandeep, hun chauthi ‘Jhote’ di photo lag gayi. Asi sochida hun panjvi kihdi photo lagni hai. Jehra eddan da sahi kamm kar reha, sach di awaz nu chakda, ohnu police protection deni chahidi hai”, says Angrez Singh, elder brother of slain kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambiyan, as he sits amid massive trophies won by Sandeep, proudly displayed at their ancestral home in Nangal Ambiyan village, Shahkot.Four years after Sandeep’s murder at a kabaddi tournament in Mallian Khurd village in Jalandhar, the security of his brother Angrez Singh has been reduced to one-third. Following Jhota’s murder, Angrez, who visited Jhota’s family on Saturday, asks whether the government will learn any lessons.Initially provided three policemen, his security was later reduced to two and last year to one gunman amid flood-related deputations.Sandeep’s high-profile murder case saw 25 people named, of whom 12 were arrested, four are on bail and two have been declared proclaimed offenders. Angrez is the key witness in the case. Seven accused are still overseas. Angrez says as long as they are walking free, it is difficult to feel safe.On whether threats still exist, Angrez said, “Every day, every moment, I am wary even when I step out of the gate. When I go to court for hearings, the accused seeking bail also park their cars there. Indeed, there is fear. We received threat calls, for which we lodged complaints. They said, ‘Don’t fight the case, don’t appear for hearings.’ We don’t pick up calls from unknown numbers. The police know this. My family is here; an additional gunman at home would ease the fear.”Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan, 40, was murdered at the Mallian Khurd stadium on March 14, 2022. He had come from England for a tournament. Sandeep’s twin brother Gurjit Sandhu, his wife Rupinder Kaur and their two sons — also twins — live in England. Angrez is pursuing the case here. He says an appeal for an additional gunman to accompany him during court visits was recently accepted by the administration.Angrez’s son Yodhveer Singh, a kabaddi player, is carrying forward the family’s kabaddi legacy after Sandeep and is fondly called ‘Jabbal’ — Sandeep’s nickname — on the field due to his striking resemblance to him.In the village, a memorial park — ‘Kabaddi Shaheed Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan Yadgari Park’ — built by the family in 2022, commemorates Sandeep with a defiant statue with a raised hand and bandaged feet. The memorial bears three photos — Sidhu Moosewala, Deep Sidhu and Sandeep — all of whom died in quick succession in 2022, in February, March and May, respectively.Angrez says he is satisfied with the action taken against the local accused in Sandeep’s case, though fear persists.“People speaking against drugs must feel empowered, not fearful that they too may be targeted similarly. I met Jhota’s father. We are both former Army men. Jhota should not have died; he should have got protection. In the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh campaign, the government must involve such men and protect them,” he adds.