The SMS was a deadly blow to an already distraught family praying for the injured Army Major’s recovery.
Sent by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Jagbir Singh of the Delhi police, the SMS said Major Rishi R, who was under treatment in an Army hospital in the national capital, had passed away.
Mistaken identity
Thankfully, it turned out to be a mistake but one that caused huge distress to the family. The issue was taken up in Parliament on Thursday. It was found that the incident happened due to a case of “mistaken identity.”
“I got the information from the hospital. So I sent the message to the area’s Circle Inspector in Kerala,” ASI Singh told The Hindu .
Responding to the mistake, a senior police official said: “The ASI confused Major Rishi with another person named Rishi for whom he had received a medico-legal case report.”
The SMS sent on Wednesday at 5.49 p.m. said Major Rishi R, who was part of the 42 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, had passed away at the Research and Referral Hospital of the Army in New Delhi.
The SMS was received by a senior police officer in Alappuzha, home district of Major Rishi. “When the police officer called back, the sender said he was an Assistant Sub-Inspector from the Dhaula Kuan police post,” an acquaintance said.
Even before the news could be formally communicated by the police to Major Rishi’s family, it spread like wildfire. The local media began to report the news, and mourners began to gather at his family home.
Probe sought
The fact was that Major Rishi, who had sustained injuries on his face during an operation last Sunday in the Kashmir Valley, was fighting his way back.
“I have sought an inquiry from the Ministry of Defence,” said Member of Parliament from Alappuzha K.C. Venugopal, who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. “I have also requested good medical care for the officer,” he said.
Major Rishi was shifted to Delhi from Srinagar on Wednesday, after his medical condition stabilised.
The officer was injured during a 24-hour operation in the Tral area of Pulwama district on Sunday. During the operation, the security forces neutralised two terrorists, while a police constable was killed. The security forces also recovered an INSAS rifle, which is believed to have been snatched from CRPF personnel hast year, from the militants.
Besides Major Rishi, three CRPF personnel were injured during the operation.
During the operation, the house of a local carpenter Mohammad Ramzan, where the terrorists had taken shelter, was razed by an IED blast and subsequent fire.
