Commanding officer, Major killed in road mishap near Bikaner

Former Army chief Gen VP Malik, who was also the honorary Col of the Sikh LI regiment, took to Twitter to express the "terrible loss".

Two Army officers, including the Commanding Officer of 19 Sikh Light Infantry, were killed in a road mishap near Bikaner in the early hours of Saturday.

Officials said the incident took place when the Army vehicle overturned on the highway after a tyre burst near Jodhesar village in the district.

Col Manish Singh Chauhan had taken over as the Commanding Officer of 19 Sikh LI in May this year. According to sources, he was returning from a forward area reconnaissance when the accident took place around 6 am. He is survived by his wife Hima Chauhan and two daughters.

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Major Neeraj Sharma was also killed in the accident while two soldiers had a narrow escape.

Former Army chief Gen VP Malik, who was also the honorary Col of the Sikh LI regiment, took to Twitter to express the “terrible loss”.

Senior officers, who had served with Col Chauhan, called him an outstanding officer with unflinching integrity, loyalty and devotion to duty. He was loved by his troops for his sensitivity to their professional and personal well-being.

Col Manish was commissioned in 13 Sikh Light Infantry with whom he served on the Line of Control and thereafter, in the United Nations’ mission at Congo. In May this year, he took over the command of 19 Sikh Light Infantry.

Chauhan was an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and had also qualified for the Defence Services Staff course.