2 years ago, Col Manpreet Singh received Sena Medal for neutralising terrorists

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 13

A pall of gloom descended over New Chandigarh and Panchkula as the tragic news of Col Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), being killed in a gun battle with terrorists in Anantnag came in today.

Survived by mother, wife, 2 children

• The officer belonged to Bhronjian village near New Chandigarh in Mohali and his family was residing in DLF enclave in the township
• Col Manpreet Singh is survived by his mother, wife Jagmeet Grewal and two children — a daughter, aged six, and a son, aged two

The officer belonged to Bharaunjian village near New Chandigarh in Mohali district and his family was at present residing in DLF enclave in the township. Col Manpreet Singh is survived by his mother, wife Jagmeet Grewal and two children — a daughter, aged six, and a son, aged two.

Jagmeet is an economics teacher employed with the Haryana Government and is posted in Panchkula district. According to family associates, she often used to visit her parents, who live in Sector 26, Panchkula.

Col Manpreet Singh was leading his troops from the front when he received critical gunshot wounds. A joint operation had been launched by the RR and the police on specific information in Garol forests in Anantnag district.

As a steady stream of mourners, well-wishers and relatives poured in, they recalled that Col Manpreet Singh was a second-generation soldier, with his later father having served in the Army as a non-commissioned officer. They recalled him as a friendly and amiable person who was friendly with one and all and was deeply dedicated to his profession.

Army sources said Col Manpreet Sinigh had spent almost five years with the same RR battalion, the first three as the second-in-command and then as the Commanding Officer. Commissioned into the infantry’s Sikh Light Infantry, he had put in about 17 years of service.

As a Lieutenant Colonel with the RR, he had been decorated with the Sena Medal for Gallantry in 2021. He had then engaged and neutralised terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, who had opened indiscriminate firing. Incidentally, 19 RR is the same battalion that had eliminated terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016.

On September 9, Col Manpreet Singh’s battalion had organised a volleyball championship near Anantnag for locals as a confidence-building measure. The programme had been organised by Major Ashish Dhonchak, Company Commander with 19 RR, who was also martyred with Col Manpreet Singh in the same operation.

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