Ajit Singh Rajpoot, a 20-year-old Agniveer from Rajasthan’s Karauli district, was laid to rest with full military honours on Sunday, two weeks after he went missing in a devastating cloudburst in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
His mortal remains, wrapped in the tricolour, reached Karauli at noon in an army truck and were first taken to the District Soldier Welfare Office, where military officers paid floral tributes. Later, the body was brought to his ancestral village, Budhpura Bhartoon in Sapotara sub-division, where grieving family members and villagers gathered for a final farewell.
Final Journey and Last Rites
The funeral procession moved through the village amid chants of “Ajit Singh Amar Rahe.” Local MLA Hansraj Meena, army officials, and hundreds of villagers joined the ceremony. Soldiers of the Indian Army accorded him a guard of honour, while his elder brother, Ankur Singh, lit the funeral pyre.
Missing After Uttarkashi Cloudburst
Ajit Singh Rajpoot was posted with the 14 Rajputana Rifles at the Army Base Camp in Harsil, Uttarkashi. On August 5, a sudden cloudburst in Dharali village sent debris and water into the camp, leaving several soldiers missing.
After an intensive rescue operation, his body was recovered on August 19. As it was unrecognisable, DNA samples from family members confirmed his identity before the remains were handed over.
A Young Soldier’s Dream
Ajit had completed his army training earlier this year and had visited his village on leave in June before reporting back to duty in Harsil on June 20. He last spoke to his elder sister Priyanka on August 4, a day before tragedy struck.
Born to farmer Malkhan Singh, Ajit is survived by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. According to relatives, he had always dreamed of serving in the Indian Army — a dream he fulfilled, though his life was cut tragically short.
