Baijnath village mourns braveheart ASI, laid to rest with full honours

A pall of gloom descended over Dharer village, located about 30 km from Baijnath in Kangra district, as the mortal remains of Assistant Sub-Inspector (SSB) Romesh Kapoor arrived in his native village on Friday. Romesh, who was serving with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), died of a heart attack while on duty in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Romesh Kapoor had joined the SSB two decades ago and had been posted in Gorakhpur for the past one and a half years. On Wednesday, while on duty, he suffered a heart attack. The news of his sudden demise was conveyed to his family by officials from SSB headquarters later that evening.

As his mortal remains reached Dharer, a wave of sorrow swept through the village. Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their respects to the fallen officer. His wife was inconsolable, as the community stood united in grief. Later in the day, his mortal remains were cremated with full honours, attended by thousands of people from Dharer and surrounding villages.

Senior officials from the SSB and local police offered floral tributes and wreaths on behalf of the Union Home Minister and the Director General of SSB. Baijnath SDM Sankalp Gautam and DSP Anil Sharma also visited the grieving family to extend condolences and assured them of all possible assistance from the state government.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep sorrow over the untimely demise of ASI Romesh Kapoor. In a message to the family, he said, “The entire nation salutes the unwavering spirit of our brave soldiers who serve in challenging conditions to protect the country.”