In last call to family, sepoy talked about new home

NAGPUR: On a seemingly ordinary Saturday, sepoy Pravin Janjal of 1 Rashtriya Rifles reached out to his family at Morgaon village in Maharashtra's Akola district. It was 3.50pm, and he wanted to confirm if they had received the Rs 49,000 he had sent via UPI - funds crucial for building their new home.
This moment of connection and hope was abruptly shattered merely two hours later by a call from his unit bearing devastating news: Pravin was no more.
Pravin, 25, was among two soldiers killed in separate gunfights with terrorists in Frisal Chinnigam and Modergam village of Kulgam. The other was Lance Naik Pradeep Nain (27).
Martyred sepoy's father tills 1.5-acre farm in Akola
Soon after sending the money, Pravin called his elder brother Sachin... The family is inconsolable," his cousin Shailesh Gawai said over the phone. The Janjal family mourns their son, a brave soldier who gave his life in the line of duty. Their house may be built, but the foundation of their joy has crumbled, leaving them to grapple with a void that can never be filled.
"Pravin's father Prabhakar tills their one-and-a-half-acre farm. What he gets from his land is not enough. He works as a farmhand in other people's fields," Shailesh said. "The family's condition improved only after Pravin joined the Army. Pravin got married to Shyambala less than a year ago."
Siblings Sachin and Pravin had prepared together for military recruitment rallies.
"Pravin was selected on his first attempt while his brother is now aspiring to join the state police," Shailesh said.
Pravin enlisted in 2nd Mahar Regiment and later moved to Rashtriya Rifles, which draws men from different units of Army for a two-year tenure.
"Before his posting in Kashmir, Pravin served in Arunachal Pradesh," his cousin said.
Pravin's mortal remains were being transported to Srinagar before being flown to Nagpur.
The remains would be kept at Kamptee cantonment and then taken to his native place Monday morning.
State govt officials, including those from Zilla Sainik Welfare Board that works for retired soldiers and the families of slain soldiers, visited the family and offered their support.