Widow of Kirti Chakra Awardee Faces Family Dispute Over Award Custody

The family of Captain Anshuman Singh, posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra for gallantry, is embroiled in a contentious dispute over the custody of his prestigious military honour. Captain Singh, a valiant Army Medical Corps officer, lost his life while rescuing fellow soldiers from a fire at Siachen Glacier. His widow, Smriti Singh, accompanied by her mother-in-law, received the award from President Droupadi Murmu during a solemn ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 5.

However, tensions escalated when Captain Singh’s father, Ravi Pratap Singh, alleged that Smriti moved the Kirti Chakra and other personal belongings of her late husband to her hometown in Gurdaspur, Punjab. Mr. Singh lamented being unable to physically touch the award bestowed upon his son, highlighting a rift over who should rightfully possess such military honours.

The family’s anguish extends beyond the physical custody of the award, with calls for legal reforms regarding inheritance rights and governmental assistance for martyrs’ families. Amidst emotional pleas, Mr. Singh demanded equitable recognition for parents alongside spouses in such matters, underscoring the complexities of posthumous honour distribution in India.

This familial discord underscores broader societal debates on the custodial rights of military honours and the emotional significance attached to them, reflecting the poignant aftermath faced by families of the nation’s bravest.

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