Army chief meets former comrade in Poonch, hails him for supporting troops during Operation Sindoor
Jammu (PTI): The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, on Saturday met his former comrade, retired Honorary Captain Subedar Parvez Ahmed, during his visit to the forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said.
During the visit, the army chief also stopped at Kamsar village in the border district, where he met Ahmed, who served with 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. The two had served together on several occasions, including when General Dwivedi commanded the battalion between 2002 and 2005, PRO Defence said.
"Ahmed joined the Indian Army in March 1991 and retired in March 2019 after completing 25 years of service", he said, adding that during his tenure, he served in operational and instructional roles, including as an instructor at training establishments, and completed several specialised courses.
According to the PRO, after Ahmed's retirement, he remained actively engaged with the local community and supported troops during Operation Sindoor by assisting in logistics and local coordination, drawing on his familiarity with the area. "His contributions during the operation earned him recognition from the army," he added.
In recognition of his continued service to society and support to the army, General Dwivedi felicitated Ahmed with the Veteran Achiever Award during the visit.
Additionally, General Dwivedi reviewed the operational preparedness of troops deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) and interacted with personnel at forward locations, commending them for their high morale and readiness, the PRO said.
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
