2 soldiers from Srikakulam martyred in Doda encounter

Srikakulam: There is mourning in two villages of Srikakulam district after the death of two soldiers while on duty in Jammu and Kashmir. Their families got information about this on Tuesday. The martyrs include 40-year-old Sanpal Jagadeeswar Rao of Vallabhrayudupeta in Nandigama mandal and 26-year-old Dokkari Rajesh of Vaddithandra village in Santhabommali mandal. Jagadeeswar Rao was a havildar and was martyred in a terrorist attack in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Rajesh was unmarried and his parents are agricultural labourers and his younger brother lived in the village. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and Agriculture Minister K Achannaidu consoled the family members and expressed grief over the phone on Tuesday. 40-year-old Jagadeeswar Rao’s brother-in-law G Tirumala Rao said that the army havildar died in an encounter with terrorists in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir at around 8.30 am on Monday. He said Jagadeeswara Rao was on patrol when the deadly terror attack took place. His family members came to know about his death through a phone call from the Army around 10.30 am on Monday. “An Army commandant called his (Jagadeswara Rao’s) wife and informed her about the incident. The entire village has now gathered at the late soldier’s house and is waiting for his body to arrive,” Tirumala Rao said. The family members received a mail from the Army stating that the soldier’s body would arrive at the Visakhapatnam airport. “My brother-in-law was a courageous man and an encounter specialist. We never expected something like this to happen. We are worried about his minor daughters,” Tirumala Rao said. He expressed slight dissatisfaction that the sacrifice made by Jagadeeswara Rao for the country was not being recognised even in the nearby areas and lamented that media houses were ignoring his contribution. According to Tirumala Rao, the soldier last came home about a month ago. He is survived by his wife, two minor daughters, father and mother. Jagadeeswara Rao’s wife S. Samatha is working as a constable in the nearby Dimmilada village of Nandigam mandal in Srikakulam. Jagadeswara Rao joined the Army in 2003 and was part of the 11 Rashtriya Rifles.