28-05-2025
BSF jawan declared ‘operational casualty' 30 years after his death in anti-smuggling op
Bageshwar: Thirty years after he was killed in an operation against smugglers along the Indo-Bangladesh border, BSF Lance Naik Prem Singh Rawat has finally received official recognition as an operational casualty.
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On Tuesday, deputy commandant Dinesh Singh from BSF Bareilly headquarters delivered the certificate to Rawat's wife, Guddi Devi, and their son, Suryapratap Singh, who was only four months old when his father died, at their home in Haldwani.
A native of Rikosha village in Ranikhet, Rawat served with the 57th Battalion of the BSF at the Jalangi border outpost in Roshanbagh, West Bengal. On Aug 23, 1994, he participated in a high-risk operation after receiving a tip-off about Bangladeshi smugglers infiltrating the border.
Rawat and two colleagues were tasked with intercepting them. During the mission, Rawat pursued the smugglers via a waterway. The smugglers ambushed the team, triggering an exchange of fire.
Rawat fought valiantly but lost his life in the gunfight. His body was recovered from the Padma river the next day.
With the family's three-decade wait for official recognition finally over, Guddi Devi said, "I feel a mix of pride and renewed grief."
The family had preserved Prem Singh's uniform, service documents, and photographs as a reminder of his sacrifice.
His brother, Dhan Singh Rawat, who had pursued the case over the years, said that "many other personnel from the BSF, CRPF, and Assam Rifles have also died in service without receiving proper recognition." "I hope they get their due recognition too," he added.
Bageshwar: Thirty years after he was killed in an operation against smugglers along the Indo-Bangladesh border, BSF Lance Naik Prem Singh Rawat has finally received official recognition as an operational casualty.
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On Tuesday, deputy commandant Dinesh Singh from BSF Bareilly headquarters delivered the certificate to Rawat's wife, Guddi Devi, and their son, Suryapratap Singh, who was only four months old when his father died, at their home in Haldwani.
A native of Rikosha village in Ranikhet, Rawat served with the 57th Battalion of the BSF at the Jalangi border outpost in Roshanbagh, West Bengal. On Aug 23, 1994, he participated in a high-risk operation after receiving a tip-off about Bangladeshi smugglers infiltrating the border.
Rawat and two colleagues were tasked with intercepting them. During the mission, Rawat pursued the smugglers via a waterway. The smugglers ambushed the team, triggering an exchange of fire.
Rawat fought valiantly but lost his life in the gunfight. His body was recovered from the Padma river the next day.
With the family's three-decade wait for official recognition finally over, Guddi Devi said, "I feel a mix of pride and renewed grief."
The family had preserved Prem Singh's uniform, service documents, and photographs as a reminder of his sacrifice.
His brother, Dhan Singh Rawat, who had pursued the case over the years, said that "many other personnel from the BSF, CRPF, and Assam Rifles have also died in service without receiving proper recognition." "I hope they get their due recognition too," he added.
