Grief grips village of soldier mutilated at LOC, leaders condemn act
The barbaric incident at the LOC in Kashmir in which the body of an Indian Army jawan was mutilated after being killed by terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistani Army, sparked an outrage on Saturday even as a pall of gloom descended on his native village in Haryana.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh condemned the mutilation of the soldier’s body as “atrocious” while senior Congress leader Manish Tewari called it “depraved behaviour”.
The jawan’s family members demanded that Pakistan be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists while former Army officers expressed their sadness. His brother Sandeep Singh demanded that the family wanted 10 Pakistani heads for the price of one.
Terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistani Army, crossed the LOC on Saturday and killed sepoy Mandeep Singh and mutilated his body in Macchil sector of Kupwara district. The family members of the 30-year-old martyr were inconsolable. Mandeep’s father said the Indian Army should give a befitting reply to Pakistan. “It was his duty, he has done it. He sacrificed his life. We should give a befitting reply to Pakistan,” he said, adding that he got the news of his son’s death when Army personnel came to his residence at 1 am.
Several women from Aantehri village in Kurukshetra reached the martyr’s house and tried to console his widow Prerna. The couple had got married two years ago. Prerna is a head constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda in Kurukshetra.
Meanwhile, a BSF constable, identified as Nitin Subhash, died on Saturday after he was injured while retaliating to Pakistan’s ceasefire violation in the Macchil sector.
Speaking to a news agency, BSF IG, Vikas Chandra said: “Nitin Subhash was firing a long range weapon. Unfortunately, the round blasted in the chamber itself giving recoil.” Chandra said that the recoil hit Subhash on the shoulder. “He was given treatment but he complained of breathlessness and succumbed to injuries,” he said.