The mortal remains of Colonel Manpreet Singh, who lost his life in a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag on Wednesday (September 13), were brought to his home in Mullanpur in Mohali, Punjab. Emotional scenes dotted the area where his family members mourned inconsolably. Of all the poignant sights that Mohali witnessed while bidding farewell to the Colonel who laid down his life fighting the terrorists, the most heart-wrenching was when the soldier’s 6-year-old son gave him one last salute dressed in a soldier's attire. The visuals of the son donning an army uniform and saluting his father who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation left everyone emotional and teary-eyed.
From Friday (September 15) morning onward, at Colonel Manpreet Singh's residence in Mullanpur, a continuous flow of mourners ensued as relatives and villagers gathered to say their last goodbye to the brave officer. His grief-stricken mother anxiously waited at the doorstep to receive her son's lifeless body. Colonel Singh, a third-generation soldier, leaves behind his mother, wife, a two-year-old daughter, and a six-year-old son.
Major Ashish Dhonchak's last rites
The mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who also lost his life fighting the terrorists in Anantnag's Kokernag, arrived in Panipat, Haryana, where the final rites will take place on Friday (September 15). Major Dhonchak had only recently planned to relocate to a new house in Panipat in October, as his family had been residing in a rented accommodation. His mortal remains were transported to his Panipat residence in an Army vehicle.
On Friday, a multitude of people gathered at Dhonchak's residence, and his family members were overwhelmed with grief as his body arrived at their Panipat home. The body was being transported to the cremation grounds in an army vehicle, with the last rites scheduled to be conducted shortly. Major Dhonchak's family includes his wife, a two-year-old daughter, and three sisters.
Anantnag encounter
Tragically, three Army personnel including Colonel Singh (who served as the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles) and Major Dhonchak along with a Deputy Superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Humayun Bhat, lost their lives during a gunfight with terrorists in the remote Kokernag area of the valley on Wednesday (September 13).
(With inputs from PTI)
