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Kashmir avalanche: Neighbours, staff recall deceased Major as man of integrity
“Being a senior officer, he was entitled to milk and several dairy products given by the Army. He mostly distributed them among us,” said a staff.
Three days after Major Amit Sagar lost his life in an avalanche that struck Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez sector, his neighbours recalled him as a man of impeccable integrity who possessed a big heart.
“Being a senior officer, he was entitled to milk and several dairy products given by the Army. He mostly distributed them among us,” said Titu Chaudhary, who works in the water supply department at the army quarters in Delhi Cantonment.
Sagar, 41, left for Jammu — where he had been transferred after serving around two-year in the national capital — just a few days ago.
“He left for Jammu and Kashmir on January 22 (Sunday). He must have joined duty on Monday and on Wednesday we received the news of him being trapped in an avalanche,” said RK Mathur, a staffer at Sagar’s army quarters where the officer lived with his family.
He added, “He never treated us like a staff. We were always like his brothers.”
Sagar is survived by wife Parul Mathur, daughter Rehwa and son Shubh — both students of Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan.
Rehwa is a student of Class Class 12 and Shubh studies in Class 7. His wife Parul works at a multi-national company in Noida.
“Sagar sir was an honest man.Whenever he went to pick up or drop his wife to her office, he used his personal car despite having an official driver and a car at his command,” he said.
Sagar’s body was brought to Delhi on Saturday evening and the last rites took place on Sunday, which was attended by hundreds of people including Army chief General Bipin Rawat.
His farther major Satish Chandra Mathur is a retired army personnel.
Sagar was to be promoted as lieutenant colonel in May.
Though the family refused to talk to media, a board outside his flat explained the bond he shared with his family members.
“Happiness is home made. Families are like fudge. Mostly sweet with few nuts,” it reads.
