<p>An aging father who lost his Army officer son in a fierce gun battle on the Kashmir border years ago could not have asked for a better gift on Independence Day. <br /><br /></p>.<p>At his doorstep this Sunday was a parcel from a person he had never known all his life. <br /><br />But what was inside brought immeasurable joy for retired Col T P S Suri. It was the country’s Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest gallantry award, that was conferred upon his son Capt Gurjinder Singh posthumously by the Army for exceptional bravery. <br /><br />The MVC was stolen along with goods and valuables from Col Suri’s house in Mohali near here by burglars way back in 2006.<br /><br />The loss of valuables for the retired colonel was meaningless given the emotional setback he suffered at the loss of his son’s priceless gallantry honour. Today, Col Suri is a relieved man free from all the hurt he lived with in the absence of the medal his son earned so valiantly.<br /><br />Capt Singh of 12 Bihar regiment died in Kashmir on November 9, 1999 fighting terrorists in a bloody battle. Capt Singh gunned down three terrorists before he succumbed to bullet injuries.<br /><br />For Col Suri, the return of the medal was by a sheer stroke of chance.<br /><br />He said he recently got a call from Delhi-based Squadron Leader T P S Chinna who informed him about his son’s MVC. <br /><br />Chinna happened to visit an antique outlet where he saw the medal with Indian Commission number and Capt Gurjinder Singh’s name engraved on it. <br /><br />Details of the martyr wer-en’t hard to locate for Chinna. On Sunday, a courier brought home the medal and fond memories of the lost soldier.<br /><br />“I am relieved. It’s a moment of great joy for me,” Col Suri said. <br /><br />Police had failed to nab those behind the burglary at the officer’s house in 2006. Nor did they manage to recover the lost valuables. <br />Col Suri now has no regrets.<br /><br /></p>
<p>An aging father who lost his Army officer son in a fierce gun battle on the Kashmir border years ago could not have asked for a better gift on Independence Day. <br /><br /></p>.<p>At his doorstep this Sunday was a parcel from a person he had never known all his life. <br /><br />But what was inside brought immeasurable joy for retired Col T P S Suri. It was the country’s Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest gallantry award, that was conferred upon his son Capt Gurjinder Singh posthumously by the Army for exceptional bravery. <br /><br />The MVC was stolen along with goods and valuables from Col Suri’s house in Mohali near here by burglars way back in 2006.<br /><br />The loss of valuables for the retired colonel was meaningless given the emotional setback he suffered at the loss of his son’s priceless gallantry honour. Today, Col Suri is a relieved man free from all the hurt he lived with in the absence of the medal his son earned so valiantly.<br /><br />Capt Singh of 12 Bihar regiment died in Kashmir on November 9, 1999 fighting terrorists in a bloody battle. Capt Singh gunned down three terrorists before he succumbed to bullet injuries.<br /><br />For Col Suri, the return of the medal was by a sheer stroke of chance.<br /><br />He said he recently got a call from Delhi-based Squadron Leader T P S Chinna who informed him about his son’s MVC. <br /><br />Chinna happened to visit an antique outlet where he saw the medal with Indian Commission number and Capt Gurjinder Singh’s name engraved on it. <br /><br />Details of the martyr wer-en’t hard to locate for Chinna. On Sunday, a courier brought home the medal and fond memories of the lost soldier.<br /><br />“I am relieved. It’s a moment of great joy for me,” Col Suri said. <br /><br />Police had failed to nab those behind the burglary at the officer’s house in 2006. Nor did they manage to recover the lost valuables. <br />Col Suri now has no regrets.<br /><br /></p>
