Agra: The family of Captain Shubham Gupta from Uttar Pradesh's Agra district was eagerly waiting for him to visit them next week after he did not get a leave on Diwali. On Wednesday, the excitement turned into mourning as Captain Shubham's mortal remains reached home after he was killed in an encounter with militants in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. Captain Shubham was among four soldiers slain in the encounter in Rajouri where a search operation is still going on to nab the fleeing militants.
Back in Agra, a pall of gloom descended on the village of the slain Captain in Tajnagari Phase I near Basai police post of the district after the mortal remains of the slain soldier reached his home late Wednesday evening with the family inconsolable due to the irreparable loss. The family remembers Captain Shubham as a fearless and high-spirited soldier and human being.
“In his desire to take on the terrorists, he left the Army's Signal Corps and joined the Para Corps. He used to keep his phone switched off on secret missions. He had successfully carried out many army operations,” a family member recalled. Captain Shubham is the elder son of DCG Basant Gupta, resident of Tajnagari Phase One near Basai police post.
The mother and father are crying inconsolable over his death in the encounter. The family members said that on Diwali, he had told them on the phone that he will come home soon on leave. Captain Shubham Gupta had made a video call and talked to his mother, father, brother, cousin, sister and other family members and told them that he will come home soon on leave and will meet everyone.
Also read: Jammu and Kashmir: Four Army personnel, including two Captains, killed in Rajouri encounter
The family was very happy and excited over his return. But the happiness of the family was overshadowed on Wednesday when they family learnt about Captain Shubham Gupta's death in the encounter. Captain Shubham had passed class 12 from St. Georges Inter College. His father DCG Basant Gupta said that Shubham was smart at studies and the spirit of patriotism was running high in his blood. Shubham was selected in the Indian Military Academy in 2015 in his very first attempt and become a Lieutenant in 2017 after he was commissioned in 2018.
He got his first posting in Udhampur and had carried out many army operations. Acquaintance Manoj Gupta said that since childhood, Captain Shubham Gupta was of very calm nature. “He had a nature of being friendly and getting along well with everyone. Whenever he came home on leave, he would definitely meet his classmates as well as old friends,” Gupta recalled.
Captain Shubham Gupta's younger brother Rishabh Gupta said that the slain was commissioned in the Signal Corps. Signal Corps of the Army handles the communication system of the Army. “His desire was to take on the enemies, hence Captain Shubham Gupta left Signal Corps and joined Para Corps without informing his family.
We came to know later,” he said.Slain Captain's 26th birthday was on 9th October which he celebrated with his family members. He had joined the army after taking inspiration from his uncle Totaram Gupta, who was in the medical corps of the army. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to visit the family and pay homage to the slain soldier.
