Brothers of Slain Jawan Aurangzeb Among Army’s New Recruits

Rifleman Aurangzeb was abducted and killed last year when he was on his way home to celebrate Eid.

Mohd Tariq and Shabbir joined the Army on Monday, 22 July.

(Photo: The Quint)

Following the late Army personnel Aurangzeb's footsteps, his younger brothers Mohammad Tariq and Shabbi joined the Indian Army on Monday, 22 July, in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri.

Aurangzeb who belonged to 44 Rashtriya Rifles was abducted and killed by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district when he was on his way home to celebrate Eid on 14 June 2018.

Now, about a year later, Tariq and Shabbir are a part of the Indian Army. They can be seen among the 100 new recruits during the Enrolment Parade in Rajouri.

Mohammad Hanif, Aurangzeb's father and a former soldier with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry said that the two have joined the Army to serve and protect the country and their fellow citizens.

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

‘Proud of My Sons’

“Indian Army is doing great in Kashmir but in my opinion, my family should have to contribute in making Kashmir terrorism free,” said Hanif.

“We are a family of soldiers, and I am proud of my sons,” he said.

Aurangzeb’s brothers had also appeared in the recruitment rally for Territorial Army which was held in Surankote Poonch in March, in which eleven thousand people participated.

Both brothers qualified and have been recruited in Punjab Regiments’ Territorial Army unit.

Security forces killed a terrorist, Shaukat Ahmad Dar, on 18 May this year, who was involved the abduction and the killing of slain rifleman Aurangzeb.

Earlier, on 6 February 2019, the Indian Army detained three personnel of 44 Rashtriya Rifles in the case.

His bullet-riddled body was found in Pulwama hours after the abduction which had led to a massive outcry in Kashmir last year. Soon after his death, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had separately visited the family to express their condolences.

He was posthumously conferred the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry award, on Independence Day in 2018.

Aurangzeb was the fourth among ten children, including four girls, of Hanif and Raj Begum. Hanif’s eldest son Mohammad Qasim is also in the Army.

(With inputs from ANI)