Chandigarh, 26 October, 2024: On the occasion of Major Bhupender Singh’s 72nd birth anniversary, a memorial honoring him and twelve other soldiers who lost their lives in service was unveiled today in his hometown of Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The memorial, which includes a bronze bust of Major Singh, was inaugurated by his family, including his wife, Avinash Kaur, and daughters Rubina Singh and Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur.
Located in a newly designated public square named Major Bhupender Singh Chowk, the memorial drew a crowd that included the families of the fallen soldiers, senior Indian Army officials, local administration representatives, and residents from nearby villages.
Nimrat Kaur took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her thoughts on the event, stating, “Today, on my father’s 72nd Birth Anniversary, a long-term dream for our family came true by inaugurating a war memorial dedicated to him and 12 other gallant martyrs all hailing from Papa’s hometown Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. May the supreme sacrifice of all these soldiers be remembered forever and inspire generations to come. My deepest gratitude to our army family in tandem with the civil administration and authorities for making this dream come true for our family. Jai Hind.”
Also attending the ceremony was Lt Col (Retd) Agyapal Singh Sidhu, father of Major Navpal Singh Sidhu, who expressed his deep emotions about the tribute, saying, “I am very touched and happy to be here.”
Major Bhupender Singh was tragically kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on January 23, 1994. At the time of his death, he was the Officer Commanding of the 99 Road Construction Company, overseeing the construction of five bailey bridges along the Khannabal-Pahalgam road as part of ‘Project Beacon.’ In January 1994, he conducted a reconnaissance of the construction sites with two officers and 13 soldiers, including armed escorts.
This mission was abruptly interrupted when their group was ambushed in Akkar village, where they faced gunfire from terrorists. Demonstrating remarkable leadership, Major Singh swiftly maneuvered his team to counter the attack, allowing them to break through the ambush. However, he was subsequently kidnapped by the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen group on January 17, 1994, which demanded the release of certain terrorists in exchange for his safety—a demand he steadfastly refused. His life was tragically cut short nearly a week later.
