Martyred Indian soldier’s family demands retribution

Family members of a martyred Indian soldier, Jaipal Singh Adhikari, who was killed and reportedly beheaded in a border skirmish in 2011 with Pakistani militants, are demanding justice.

Local residents organised a gathering in Haldwani and honoured the family members of all the slain soldiers, hailing from the town.

According to media reports, Pakistan-trained militants had killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers during a gun battle near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district in the month of July 2011 and dumped their mutilated bodies.

The slain soldiers were identified as Havaldar Jaipal Singh Adhikari and Lance Naik Devender Singh, hailing from Uttarakhand state.

Jaipal Singh Adhikari’s brother Chandan Singh Adhikari said the army officials were not willing to accept the tragic incident at that time.

“The army has now accepted that they were beheaded," said Chandan Singh Adhikari.

The gathering demanded that the government should honour the families of the slain soldiers and proper compensation must be provided.

Firing and small skirmishes are common along the 740-kilometer (460-mile) LoC despite a ceasefire that was agreed in 2003. The Indian army says eight of its soldiers were killed in 2012, in 75 incidents of ceasefire violations.

In a recent exchange of fire in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, two Indian soldiers were killed, but the nuclear-armed rivals both appeared determined to prevent the clash escalating into a full diplomatic crisis.