India News | Punjab Village Mourns Its Loss After Copter Crash

Tarn Taran, Dec 9 (PTI) Naik Gursewak Singh said goodbye to his family last month in Dode Sodhian village here, when his leave ended. On Thursday, they waited for his return -- this time in a casket draped with the tricolour.

The 35-year-old soldier was killed when a helicopter carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 13 others crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coornool on Wednesday.

Also Read | Italian Competition Authority Fines Amazon USD 1.3 Billion for Abusing Its Market Position.

His wife Jaspreet Kaur had not been keeping well for several weeks and wasn't initially told about the tragedy, village sarpanch Gurbaj Singh said. She learnt about it on Thursday morning and was inconsolable.

She said her husband loved his daughters - Simratdeep Kaur (9) and Gurleen Kaur (7) - very much. “He never missed a day to talk to his angels.”

Also Read | Tejashwi Yadav Wedding Ceremony: RJD Leader Marries Long-Time Friend Rachel In New Delhi; View Pics.

The couple's son Fatehdeep is just three years old.

Gursewak Singh is also survived by his father Kabal Singh, five sisters and two brothers.

He studied at the government school in nearby Khalra village. He joined the Army in 2004, his wife said.

The sarpanch said whenever the soldier came home to the village, he met him and also spent time with the elders.

He last came on leave in October and went back on November 14. Jaspreet Kaur said she never imagined he wouldn't return.

His body is expected in the village on Friday, local authorities said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)