Pall of gloom at martyred sepoy’s village in Rohtak

nit Dhawan and Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 16

A pall of gloom descended on Behalba in Rohtak district as the news of Sepoy Sandeep Malik having attained martyrdom reached the village today.

Sepoy Sandeep Malik (27), who laid down his life battling terrorists in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, was to come to his native village on a one-month leave on May 26 but destiny had other plans for him.

“Having spent three years in Pulwama, Sandeep of the 18 Grenadiers had been transferred to Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) in April but he had not been relieved due to some official reasons. His last day of duty in Pulwama had to be May 25 and we were eagerly waiting to meet him on May 26 but the Almighty perhaps was not in favour of that,” said the sepoy’s inconsolable father Satbir Malik, a farmer.

Satbir said the family had spoken to Sandeep around 8 pm on Wednesday. “Sandeep had disconnected the phone stating that he had to go on duty and would talk the next day. During conversation, he didn’t give any hint about any operation,” he added.

The grief-stricken father said they learnt about the incident around 11 am when they saw villagers slowly gathering outside their house. The sepoy’s devastated mother Bala Devi said she was proud of her son for sacrificing his life for the nation. “We did not know that the telephonic conversation with Sandeep on Thursday evening would be the last,” she tearfully said.

Sandeep also leaves behind his wife Neeru, whom he married two years ago

Raju Malik, the sepoy’s younger brother, said Sandeep had been passionate about the Army since his childhood. “My ‘tau’ (father’s elder brother) is a retired Army officer while my two uncles are serving in the BSF,” Raju said

The martyr’s body is likely to arrive in the village on Friday.