Mandi (HP): The dream of Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar, who died in an encounter with terrorists at Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, to rebuild his house damaged in monsoon fury remained unfulfilled.

Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Barnog village in the Chhamyar panchayat of Nachan Assembly constituency in Mandi district, served with 2 Para (Special Forces). He was killed in the gunfight in the Bhart Ridge area of Kishtwar on Sunday, while three other commandos were injured.

The martyr’s body was flown to Mandi in a helicopter on Monday evening. However, due to the late hour, the last rites were postponed, and the body was placed in the mortuary at Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College in Nerchowk. Officials stated that the cremation will be held on Tuesday.

Kumar’s brother, Karam Singh, shared, “Our ten-room house was damaged during the monsoon last year, and his family was living in a rented house.” He added, “My brother Rakesh, who had come on leave one-and-a-half months back, had promised to start construction of the new house in January next year.”

Rakesh is survived by his wife, Bhanupriya (33), daughter Yashshwani (13), son Parnav (7), and mother Bhati Devi (90). The family has been inconsolable since hearing the tragic news.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri expressed their grief over the loss of Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar. The chief minister stated that, “the nation will forever honour the ultimate sacrifice of this brave soldier,” while the deputy chief minister emphasized that “the nation and the state will always be indebted for the selfless and supreme sacrifice of this brave son.”