DHENKANAL: A pall of gloom descended on Kendudhipa village in Dhenkanal’s Kamakhyanagar area after news broke that Saroj Das, a native who served as havildar with the Indian Army, died in the flood that wreaked havoc in Sikkim on Tuesday night.
Twenty-nine-year-old Saroj had joined the Indian Army in October 2012 and been working as a havildar with the 620 battalion of the Corps of EME ever since. On the fateful day, he and his troop comprising 23 others had gone to Sikkim for their annual military exercises when their vehicles got trapped in a cloudburst at Baradang near Singtam on Tuesday.
When his family members contacted him, Saroj informed them that the heavy downpour in their area had left them stranded and they would proceed only after the rain stopped. However, soon after, they lost contact with him. They came to know of the disaster while watching television on Wednesday.
Later, the army authorities informed them of Saroj’s death and provided them with his photo for identification. Grief-stricken, Saroj’s elder sister Rani Parida said he had come to visit them just two months back.
“We had a very pleasant time and went to Tarini temple to perform a puja. My brother got married seven months back. Before leaving, he had promised to return during the holidays. His death has caused irreparable damage to our lives,” she sighed.
A resident of the village, Sachidananda Rout said Saroj was amiable and humble as a person. “He was very polite and helpful, too. We are saddened by his demise and pray God to give courage to the bereaved family,” he said. Collector Saroj Kumar Sethy visited the village and offered condolences to the deceased’s family. Saroj’s mortal remains are expected to arrive at his village on Friday evening.