Anantnag Operation: Col Manpreet Singh had only four months left to complete his field tenure
Anantnag Operation: The tragic loss of Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalion, in a counter-insurgency operation in Anantnag on Wednesday has left a void in the hearts of his family and the military community. What makes this loss even more poignant is that Col. Manpreet was only four months away from completing his tenure with RR, after which he was likely to be posted at a peaceful station.
Hailing from Bharonjian, a small village near New Chandigarh in Punjab, Colonel Manpreet's family currently resides in DLF Enclave, New Chandigarh. He is survived by his mother, his wife Jagmeet Grewal, and two young children—a daughter and a son.
Col. Manpreet Singh had dedicated around 17 years of his life to the Indian Army. While his father, a former serviceman, had passed away, his mother was living with his children in New Chandigarh. His brother-in-law, who resides in sector-26 Panchkula, mentioned that they would be departing for Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday morning with other family members to receive his body.
The news of his demise left his wife inconsolable, while his young children remained unaware of the tragedy. Col. Manpreet was recognised as a courageous officer and had recently received a gallantry award from the army for his brave actions while serving as Lieutenant Colonel in an operational area.
Another officer, Major Ashish Dhonchak, who also lost his life in the same operation, was a native of Panipat district in Haryana. While he was married, further details about him were not available at the time of this report. Friends, family, and colleagues remembered Colonel Manpreet Singh as a second-generation soldier, with his late father having served in the Army as a non-commissioned officer. He was known for his friendly and amiable nature, forming strong bonds with those he encountered and exhibiting deep dedication to his profession.
Army sources revealed that Colonel Manpreet Singh had spent nearly five years with the same RR battalion, initially as the second-in-command and later as the Commanding Officer. Commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry of the infantry division, he had dedicated approximately 17 years to the service.
As a Lieutenant Colonel with the RR, he was honored with the Sena Medal for Gallantry in 2021 for his courageous actions in Jammu and Kashmir, where he had engaged and neutralised terrorists who had initiated indiscriminate firing. It is worth noting that the 19 RR battalion had previously eliminated the notorious terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016.
On September 9, Col. Manpreet Singh's battalion had organised a volleyball championship near Anantnag as a confidence-building measure for the local populace. The event was coordinated by Major Ashish Dhonchak, the Company Commander with 19 RR, who tragically lost his life alongside Col. Manpreet Singh in the same operation.
- With inputs from agencies
