UNA, JANUARY 16
Havildar Amrik Singh and soldier Amit Sharma were cremated with military and state honours at their native villages in Una and Hamirpur districts today.
The mortal remains of Havildar Amrik Singh, who, along with two other soldiers, died last week while on patrol duty in the Machil Sector of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir along the LoC, were consigned to flames at his native Ganu Mandhwara village of Gagret sub division with full military honors today.
A three-member patrol party led by JCO Parshottam Kumar (43), Hav Amrik Singh (31) and Sepoy Amit Sharma (23) was moving towards a forward post at about 5.30 pm on January 10 when snow along the narrow track gave way and the three soldiers slipped into a deep gorge. A search and rescue operation was launched and all three bodies were recovered by early morning.
Amrik Singh had joined the Army’s Dogra regiment about 17 years ago. He is survived by his parents, wife and a two-year-old son, who lit the pyre amid slogans of ‘Amrik Singh amar rahe’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ by the locals.
Earlier, the soldier’s body was brought to his ancestral village from Chandigarh in the morning. A contingent led by Capt Rahul Mehta of the 14 Dogra Regiment accompanied the casket draped in the Indian Tricolour. Amrik Singh’s wife Ruchi, mother Usha Devi and father Dharam Pal were inconsolable when the body reached their house.
Subedar Arun Kumar, who was part of the Army contingent which accompanied the body, said Amrik was an outstanding soldier and a sportsman.
Una SP Arijit Sen, SDM Somil Gautam and DSP Vasudha Sood laid wreaths on behalf of the state government and the district administration. A posse of Army men gave a gun salute to the late comrade.
Hamirpur: Army soldier Amit Sharma from the district was cremated with military and state honours at his native Talasi Khurd village, near here, today. Sharma was one of the three soldiers who were killed near the LoC when their vehicle fell into a deep gorge in Machil sector of Kupwara on January 10 night. A pal of gloom descended on the village as Sharma’s mortal remains reached the village this morning. Hundreds of local people thronged his village to pay tributes to him.
A contingent led by a Captain-rank officer placed a floral wreath near the body on behalf of the Army Chief and other ranks while Jitender Sanjta, Additional District Magistrate, paid tributes to Sharma on behalf of the state government.
Local MLA Ashish Sharma and SDM Manish Soni also paid tributes.
Earlier, the Captain of Dogra Regiment handed over Amit Sharma’s uniform and the national flag to his father Vijay Sharma.