Muzzafarnagar, June 12: Lieutenant Hitesh Kumar has joined his father’s battalion after 19 years since Lance Naik Bachan Singh achieved martyrdom while capturing the Tololing peak during the Kargil war in 1999. Lieutenant Kumar joined the 2nd Rajputana Rifles after passing out from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), in Dehra Dun on June 9.

Lance Naik Singh fought bravely before succumbing to his injuries during the battle of Tololing. The battle proved to be the turning point of the Kargil war. Lieutenant Kumar was almost six years old when his father died on June 13, 1999. The 24-year-old Lieutenant always dreamt to be like his father and to join the Indian Army. Speaking to news Agency ANI on Sunday, "My father was my inspiration, and I've seen my mother's struggles very closely.”

On Sunday, the lieutenant visited his ancestral home at Civil Lines in UP's Muzaffarnagar to pay tribute to his dad. His mother Kamlesh Bala waited for this day for almost two decades. Hitesh has a twin brother, Hemant. Bala told ANI, "It took a year for me to come to terms and decide how to guide my two sons - Hitesh and Hemant," Hemant is preparing for the entrance exams.

Hitesh went to the military school at Chahal in Himachal Pradesh. He graduated from the Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi. Leaving a career in management, Lieutenant Kumar has joined the India Army. On June 9, 383 gentlemen cadets commissioned into the Indian Army, while 74 foreign cadets also completed their training from the academy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2018 12:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).