Captain Anshuman Singh's wife collects Kirti Chakra, recalls their story: 'It was love at first sight'

In a solemn ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Smriti Singh, widow of Captain Anshuman Singh, and his mother stood before President Droupadi Murmu to accept the Kirti Chakra, India's second-highest gallantry award, posthumously awarded to Captain Singh for his exceptional bravery during a fire incident in Siachen.

Reflecting on her late husband's courage and dedication, Smriti Singh recounted his words: "He would tell me, 'I would die with the brass on my chest. I would not die an ordinary death.'"

Singh shared the poignant story of their relationship, which began on the first day of college. "I don't want to be dramatic but it was love at first sight. After a month, he got selected into the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC). We met at an engineering college but then he got selected in a medical college. Super intelligent guy. From then on, after just one month of meeting, it was a long-distance relationship for eight long years," she recalled. "Then we decided to get married. Unfortunately, within two months of our marriage, he got posted in Siachen."

Captain Singh was stationed with 26 Punjab as a medical officer in the Siachen Glacier region. On July 19, 2023, a short circuit triggered a fire in an Indian Army ammunition dump around 3 am. Captain Singh, witnessing a fibreglass hut engulfed in flames, acted swiftly to rescue those trapped inside. He managed to save four to five individuals before the fire spread to a nearby medical investigation room.

Undeterred, Captain Singh re-entered the blazing structure in an attempt to save more lives. Tragically, he became trapped and succumbed to the inferno. Smriti Singh recounted the fateful day: "On July 18, we had a long conversation about how our life would be in the next 50 years. On July 19 morning, I got a call that he is no more. For the next 7-8 hours we were not ready to accept that anything of such sort has happened."