Guwahati: The body of an Indian army jawan was recovered on Sunday inside a dilapidated bunker in Siachen after 38 years of going missing in an avalanche while on patrol.
The deceased jawan was identified by the Sainik Group Centre in Ranikhet as Chandrashekhar Harbola of the 19 Kumaon Regiment.
According to reports, Harbola was one of 20 soldiers that participated in “Operation Meghdoot” against Pakistan in 1984 on the highest battleground in the globe.
The group got caught in an ice storm while out on patrol. The remains of 15 soldiers had been found, but only five could be found, Harbola being one of them.
His wife Shanti Devi, who stays in Haldwani’s Saraswati Vihar Colony, is anticipated to receive his remains today.
The sub-collector of Haldwani, Manish Kumar and Tehsildar Sanjay Kumar reached Harbola’s residence. They announced that his last rites will be performed with full military honours.
Devi, Harbola’s wife, said that she was 28 years old and had been married to her husband for nine years at the time of the occurrence. At the time, their younger daughter was one and a half years old, and their older daughter was four.
She said that Harbola hadn’t been home since January 1984 and vowed to do so soon. She glowed with satisfaction at the thought of her husband prioritising his nation’s service over family commitments.
Harbola, a resident of Dwarahat in Almora, had enlisted in the Indian army in 1975.
Meanwhile, the body of another soldier was reportedly found but his identity has not been established as of yet.