Warangal youth who wanted to join Army, dies in protest against Agnipath

Rakesh, a final year bachelor's degree student at a college in Hanumakonda town, passed the physical test in the Army recruitment rally six months ago and was preparing for the written examination.

Warangal (Telangana): His dreams of serving the country as a soldier of the Indian Army were left unfulfilled as Damodar Rakesh (23) lost his life in alleged police firing during violent protests against the Centre's Agnipath scheme at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday. The son of Kumara Swamy and Poolamma, Rakesh belonged to a poor family hailing from the Warangal district's Dabir Peta village in Khanapuram Mandal.

Rakesh, a final year bachelor's degree student at a college in Hanumakonda town, passed the physical test in the Army recruitment rally six months ago and was preparing for the written examination. His family members said that Rakesh came to Hyderabad on Thursday evening after telling his parents that he had some work in the Army office.

Rakesh, whose home is about 150 kilometers from Hyderabad, came to know from social media groups that some youths were planning to stage a protest so he came to Secundrabad on Thursday evening and stayed overnight. He went to the Army Recruitment Board on Friday morning but since there was no demonstration, he came back to Secunderabad station and joined the protest. Upon receiving the news of his death, his parents reached the Secunderabad Gandhi Hospital. His elder sister is working in BSF.