Widow of soldier killed in Kashmir operation is now Lieutenant in the Indian Army
Jyoti Nainwal, a mother of two children, passed out from the Officers' Training Academy in Chennai and is now commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.
FollowThe widow of Indian Army jawan Naik Deepak Nainwal, who was killed in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018, donned the olive green as she was commissioned into the 13.5 lakh-strong force on Saturday. Jyoti Nainwal, a mother of two children, passed out from the Officers' Training Academy in Chennai and is now commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.Â
"I am very thankful to my husband's regiment (Mahar Regiment). In the trying times, they stood with me and treated me like a daughter," Lieutenant Nainwal said in Chennai. Lieutenant Nainwal, 32, who cracked the examination to enter into OTA Chennai in her fourth attempt, would be the first officer in her family.Â
Lieutenant Nainwal's husband Naik Deepak Nainwal, was a part of the 1 Rashtriya Rifles battalion deployed in Jammu & Kashmir's Kulgam for counter-terrorism operations. On the basis of intelligence information about the presence of terrorists in the area, the forces engaged them fiercely and the gun battle continued for over 12 hours on April 10, 2018. During the heavy exchange of fire, Naik Nainwal sustained serious injuries in his spine.Â
For better treatment, he was evacuated to New Delhi’s Army Research and Referral hospital and later referred to Pune Military Hospital. After battling for 40 days, he succumbed to his injuries on May 20, 2018. Hailing from Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, Naik Nainwal was survived by his wife, two daughters and parents.Â
A total of 178 cadets, including 124 men, 29 women and 25 foreign nationals passed out of the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. Among 25 foreign nationals, seven were from the Afghan National Army. In the days to come, they will have to report to their embassy in Delhi. It is uncertain as of now where they would go as things have changed in the war-torn country with the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government and takeover by the Taliban.
