Newly enlisted Punjab Agniveer dies in Poonch

Amritpal's remains were cremated in his village, with a police contingent providing a guard of honour

Defence Public Relations Officer (Jammu) Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said the circumstances of the death of Agniveer Amritpal Singh are under investigation. (Source: Special Arrangements)

Written by: Man Aman Singh Chhina

3 min readChandigarhOct 13, 2023 06:52 PM IST First published on: Oct 13, 2023 at 06:33 PM IST

A recently enlisted Agniveer, Amritpal Singh from Mansa in Punjab, who had commenced active duty just last month, passed away in Jammu and Kashmir on October 10. His final rites took place at his village, Kotli Kalan, on Friday.

Amritpal Singh (21) was serving with a battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in the Poonch sector and was reportedly discovered with a gunshot wound to his head within the unit on Oct 10. This marks the first death of a soldier from Punjab recruited under the Agniveer scheme in the Army.

Amritpal’s remains were cremated in his village, with a police contingent providing a guard of honour.

In a conversation with The Indian Express, Gurdeep Singh, the father of the fallen soldier, said that he had conversed with his son earlier on the day of his death, and the young man seemed to be in high spirits.

“He told me he had taken leave from Oct 24 onwards to attend my niece’s wedding, and he was looking forward to the event. He had visited the village in September after completing his training at the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles training centre in Jabalpur and left on September 20 to join his unit in Poonch. We are unaware of the circumstances of his death and are seeking a thorough investigation,” said Gurdeep Singh.

The father noted that an Army Havildar and two jawans had accompanied his son’s body to the village, and no Army contingent was present for a guard of honour. “I saw my son’s body, and there was a gunshot injury on his left temple above the ear,” he stated.

According to Brig BS Dhillon (retd), Director of Sainik Welfare in Punjab, his department had not received any information about the Agniveer’s demise from the Army authorities. “We have just learned that the cremation has occurred, with the police providing a guard of honour. We have not been informed about the circumstances of the death,” he explained.

The Defence Public Relations Officer, Jammu, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, reported that the circumstances surrounding the death of Agniveer Amritpal Singh were under investigation. When questioned about the absence of a military funeral, Lt Col Bartwal stated that he was not aware of this.

Salim Khan, a close friend of Amritpal Singh, mentioned that he had chatted with his friends, including Amritpal, earlier on the day of his demise, and nothing appeared awry. “He was in high spirits and eagerly anticipating his homecoming on leave,” he recalled.

In the meantime, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann issued a statement expressing his condolences for the loss of Amritpal. He described it as an irreplaceable loss for the nation at large and, particularly, for the bereaved family. The Chief Minister extended his sympathies to the soldier’s family.

He also conveyed that financial assistance would be provided to the bereaved family in accordance with the state government’s policy.

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also expressed his condolences for the departed soldier, sharing his sympathies with the family along with a photograph of Amritpal Singh.