38 years after he went missing in Siachen, remains of Indian army soldier found at a bunker

Aug, 14: What seems to be unbelievable is that the mortal remains of a soldier who was part of Operation Meghdoot in Siachen in 1984, were found at a bunker on Saturday at the world’s highest battlefield. Lance Naik Chandra Shekhar from Uttarakhand’s Haldwani had gone missing during the operation 38 years ago.

Shanti Devi, 63, the widow of Lance Naik Chandrashekhar Harbol was informed about this by officials from the army’s 19 Kumaon Regiment. His family, who were informed of the discovery on Sunday, are expected to get his mortal remains on Tuesday. She was 25 when her husband went missing. They were married in 1975. When he went missing nine years later, his two daughters were very young. One was four and another a year and a half.

Kavita, Harbol’s daughter who is now 42, said they did not know whether to be happy or sad. “Papa has come home but I wish he was alive and could celebrate Independence Day with all here,” said Kavita. The family, who were informed of the discovery on Sunday, are expected to get his mortal remains on Tuesday.

Harbol, who joined the Kumaon Regiment in 1971, was part of a five-member patrol when an avalanche hit it. Neither his nor the bodies of the other four could be found. Their regiment was part of India’s pre-emptive action to stop Pakistan from capturing strategic areas in the glacier in April 1984 as part of Operation Meghdoot.