Dehradun: At the time when a sea of people gathered in Dehradun to pay their last tribute to Indian Army Major Chitresh Singh Bisht, who was killed in Rajouri’s Naushera sector while diffusing an improvised explosive device (IED), the city lost another brave son who died during a shootout with Pulwama mastermind and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Kamran alias Abdul Rasheed Ghazi. 

Dehradun resident Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal (31) lost his life in the 13-hour-long encounter with the JeM militants, who were hiding in a house. 

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During the gunfight, the security forces managed to neutralise JeM commander Kamran and another militant. However, Dhoundiyal along with three other soldiers lost their lives in the encounter. They were identified as havaldar Sheo Ram, Sepoy Ajay Kumar and sepoy Hari Singh.

Sadly, it will be Dhoundiyal’s grandmother, mother, wife and three sisters waiting to receive his body. He was the only brother among three elder sisters. Initially, his wife, grandmother and mother were not told about his martyrdom, but later the army officers gave the tragic news to his wife. 

He got married in April 2018 and his wife Nikita had gone to Delhi for work when she was informed about his demise. 

Dhoundiyal’s father also passed away a few years ago, making him the only male member in his family.

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Dhoundiyal was posted with 55 Rashtriya Rifles contingent of the Indian Army and was a pass out of Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai.

Security forces on Monday said that they have gunned down a top JeM commander and another terrorist who had recruited and trained the suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar alias Waqas Commando who rammed an SUV into a bus of the CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing at least 40 jawans.