Agniveer Ajit Singh Rajpoot Laid to Rest with Military Honours 14 Days After Uttarkashi Cloudburst
Ajit Singh Rajpoot, a 20-year-old soldier from Rajasthan's Karauli district, received a burial with full military honors on Sunday, following his disappearance two weeks prior due to a catastrophic cloudburst in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
His remains, draped in the Indian national flag, arrived in Karauli at noon via an army truck and were initially taken to the District Soldier Welfare Office, where military officers laid floral tributes. The body was then transported to his native village, Budhpura Bhartoon in the Sapotara sub-division, where family members and villagers assembled to bid their final farewells.
The funeral procession made its way through the village amidst chants of "Ajit Singh Amar Rahe." Local legislator Hansraj Meena, army personnel, and hundreds of villagers participated in the rites. The Indian Army provided a guard of honor, and Ajit's elder brother, Ankur Singh, performed the last rites by lighting the funeral pyre.
Ajit Singh Rajpoot was stationed with the 14 Rajputana Rifles at the Army Base Camp in Harsil, Uttarkashi. On August 5, a sudden cloudburst occurred in Dharali village, causing debris and water to flood the camp, resulting in several soldiers going missing.
After an exhaustive rescue effort, Ajit's body was discovered on August 19. Due to its unrecognizable state, DNA testing with family members confirmed his identity before the remains were returned to his family.
Ajit completed his military training earlier this year and had visited his village on leave in June before returning to duty in Harsil on June 20. He last communicated with his elder sister Priyanka on August 4, one day before the tragic incident.
Born to farmer Malkhan Singh, Ajit leaves behind his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. Family members recounted how he had always aspired to join the Indian Army, a dream he realized, though his life ended prematurely.
