26/11: NSG commando's wife seeks post-mortem report

New Delhi: Six months into NSG commando Gajender Singh's death in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and his wife is still curious to know the exact cause of his demise, for which she is planning to approach authorities of the elite commando force asking for his post-mortem report.

Vinita Devi, who has now moved from her village Ganeshpur to the Army accommodation in Dehradun along with her children said, "I never got any post-mortem report of his death but it would be consoling if I had one. I have the desire to see it. What i know (the cause of his death) is what was reported in the media. I will ask the NSG in this regard," the slain soldier's wife said.

The NSG, after the Mumbai operation had said that Singh "was hit by a burst of bullets and succumbed to injuries".

Commenting on the woman's desire to get a copy of the post-mortem report a senior NSG officer on Wednesday said that "if the family of a soldier approaches for such a report it can always be given. It can be officially taken from the unit commander".

Choked with emotions, Vinita says, "my kids are now the only inspiration in my life. I miss him but that is how a soldiers wife's life is."

Singh considered to be a "specialist in heli-borne operations" was on deputation with the NSG from the Army's special forces.

In the final phases of `Operation Black Tornado', he was dropped on top of the Nariman House where he was killed after facing a hail of bullets from the holed-up terrorists.

Vinita occasionally visits Gajender's parent regiment "10 PARA" in Rajasthan and says that the force had ensured the smooth and timely payment of post-death benefits and other entitlements to her.

"My kids Gaurav (12) and Preeti (10) are in standard seventh and sixth respectively and they miss their father", she said.

Former NSG Director General J K Dutt had lauded Singh's valour saying "terrorists opened fire on Gajendra when he was trying to get into the building. He could have easily come back but continued to advance."

Gajendra's action helped in creating an opening and made the rest of unit aware of location where terrorists were hidden and firing from, the former NSG chief said.