Parents of martyred Army officer Captain Anshuman Singh say daughter-in-law left with Kirti Chakra
Captain Singh's father, Ravi Pratap Singh said they also have a right to their son's Kirti Chakra medal.
The parents of Kirti Chakra awardee (posthumously) Captain Anshuman Singh have alleged that their daughter-in-law, Smriti Singh, has left with their son's medal. The medal was received by Smriti Singh and the soldier's mother, Manju Singh, on July 5.
"My son's award that she (daughter-in-law Smriti Singh) took... it belongs to her but the pain is that since she has gone far, the award has also gone far. But if she lived with us, there was no issue at all," Manju Singh said.
Captain Singh's father, Ravi Pratap Singh said they also have a right to their son's Kirti Chakra medal.
"We don't have any demand, only she can tell if there is any issue. I have spoken a lot in the public domain. Any parents have the right on it (referring to Kirti Chakra)," he said.
After accepting the medal, Smriti Singh shared memories of her husband earlier this year. The Ministry of Defence posted the video.
"He was very much capable. He would tell me, 'I would die with a brass on my chest. I would not die an ordinary death like no one would know," recalled Smriti.
Captain Anshuman Singh died while rescuing people from a major fire in July last year.
"President Droupadi Murmu conferred Kirti Chakra upon Captain Anshuman Singh, The Army Medical Corps, 26th Battalion The Punjab Regiment, posthumously. Disregarding his safety, he exhibited exceptional bravery and resolve to rescue many people in a major fire incident," the Rashtrapati Bhawan wrote on X.
Smriti Singh's video had gone viral.
"So, we met on the first day of college. I don't want to be dramatic but it was love at first sight. After a month, he got selected into the AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College). We met at an engineering college, but he got selected for a medical college. He was a super-intelligent guy. From then on, after just one month of meeting, it was a long-distance relationship for eight long years," she recalled in the video.
She said on July 18, they made plans for their life. The next morning, she got a call that he passed away.
"For the first seven to eight hours, we could not accept that anything of that sort has happened. To date, I am not coping. Just trying to figure it out thinking maybe it is not true. But now that I have the Kirti Chakra in my hand, I realise it is true. But it's okay, he is a hero. We can manage a little of our lives because he has managed a lot. He gave up his life and family so that the other three families could be saved," she added.
With inputs from PTI
