Panipat/Patiala, October 25, 2026: An Indian Army jawan from Haryana, Vikas Deshwal (29), died of a heart attack in Patiala after developing sudden chest pain during a morning parade. His mortal remains reached his native village of Matlauda (Matlouda) in Panipat district on Sunday morning and were cremated with military honours.
Deshwal, son of the late Ved Singh Deshwal, had joined the Indian Army on 14 June 2014 and was serving in the 501 Battalion. He was posted in Patiala at the time of the incident. According to reports, he complained of chest pain on the morning of 23 October during the parade. Unit personnel took him to hospital. The pain recurred on the morning of 24 October; doctors found that he had stopped breathing and declared him dead due to a heart attack.
He is survived by his wife, a six-year-old son named Vivan, and an eight-day-old daughter. He had not been able to see his newborn daughter. His father had passed away approximately eight months earlier. Villagers described Deshwal as cheerful by nature; the sudden loss has left the family and the village in shock.
At the funeral in Matlauda village, six-year-old Vivan placed flowers on his father’s body and paid respects with folded hands, moving those present. Army personnel accorded military honours before the last rites. The family was informed of the death through Commander S. Sachin.
The incident is being reported as a physical casualty arising from a heart attack, not as an operational or battle-related death. Local reports note the emotional impact on the young family left without a father at a critical time.
This account is based on contemporaneous reports from Dainik Bhaskar and Punjab Kesari (25 October 2026). Details such as the wife’s name and the exact hospital involved have not been publicly confirmed in available reports.
