New Delhi:
For four years, Captain Sumit Kohli's family has asserted he was murdered. And now heeding to their demands Defence Minister AK Antony has ordered a reinvestigation into his death. Captain Kohli was found dead with gunshot wounds in his room in April 2006.
The Army's Court of Inquiry held his death was a suicide.
In 2006, the 29-year-old Captain was posted with the 18 Rashtriya Rifles in Kupwara, J&K. That January, he had been awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his gallant fight against insurgency in Kashmir.
Then suddenly, on April 30, he was found dead in his living quarters. That was the last day of his posting in Kashmir.
The Army claimed he had killed himself with his service rifle, an AK-47. And they give marital discord as the probable reason. His father died of shock.
Captain Sumit's family has ever since maintained that he was murdered by senior officers because he was going to blow the lid off some fake encounters in Kashmir in which civilians were killed.
"I am hopeful a through inquiry will be conducted now. Defence Minister A K Antony heard us out. I am confident he will help us," said Veena Kohli, Captain Kohli's mother.
However, sources at the Army headquarters say they are yet to receive any communication about the re-investigation.
For the last four years, Captain Kohli's mother has been fighting a lone battle. She believes the Army is hiding a lot. But now she sees a ray of hope and feels reinvestigation is a step forward which would restore her son's honour.