Major Aashish Dhonchak’s mortal remains were brought to his Panipat home on Friday after he died in the ongoing battle with terrorists in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. Soldiers were seen returning home with the deceased officer’s mortal remains in a coffin in somber images that were widely shared on social media. The video clip showed locals lining up in front of Major Dhonchak’s home to pay their respects.
The officer was the father of a two and a half year old daughter when he was killed by enemy fire on Wednesday during an encounter in the Kokernag area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Major Dhonchak, who has three sisters as well, returned home on leave just two months ago. When the locals learned of his passing on Wednesday night, a sense of gloom descended upon his native village.
Officials reported that in addition to Major Dhonchak, Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was in charge of the Rashtriya Rifles’ Quick Response Team (QRT), and Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat of the Jammu and Kashmir police also lost their lives in the Wednesday encounter. DSP Bhat’s funeral rites were conducted in Budgam on Wednesday night. Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, paid respects to the deceased DSP at Budgam on Wednesday while also expressing sorrow over the officers’ deaths in the encounter.
In a separate encounter, two terrorists were gunned down by security forces in the Narla area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri on Tuesday.
Security forces said they recovered warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that carried over into Wednesday evening, according to officials.