More than four months after Sachin Ponia, a 24-year-old Agniveer from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, went missing during the flash flood in Uttarakhand’s Harsil village, the Uttarkashi district administration has declared him dead on a final (provisional) basis under the presumption of death. However, Sachin’s family has rejected the decision and maintains that no evidence has so far been found to establish that he is no longer alive.
Sachin was posted with the 14th Battalion of The Rajputana Rifles at the time of the flash flood.
Following the receipt of a letter from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Matwadi, Uttarkashi, declaring Sachin dead, the Hathras district administration has issued a proclamation order inviting objections from the general public.
Raj Bahadur Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Hathras, stated that if any person has an objection to the declaration of Sachin Ponia as deceased, such objections may be submitted within 30 days on any working day at the SDM office.
“The notice has been issued in accordance with the letter received from the Uttarkashi district administration,” said SDM Singh.
Last year, Sachin, from Kareel village in the Hathras district, joined the Agnipath scheme, which recruits youth into the armed forces for a four-year period. After completing his training, he received his first posting in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
Sachin had completed his graduation from Hathras before joining the Army and had been posted in Uttarakhand for around nine-and-a-half months prior to the incident.
“Sachin, along with a few others, including army personnel, has been missing since August. Around five months have passed, and after only a brief inquiry, they have declared the son dead, despite there being no proof that he is no longer alive,” said Sachin’s father Chandraveer Singh, a farmer.
“We are all praying to God for his safe return. The Hathras district administration has informed us that the Uttarakhand government has now declared him dead, and following their directions, a proclamation has been issued inviting objections. We have been given 30 days, and after discussing the matter within the family, we will decide our next course of action,” added Chandraveer.
Sachin’s mother Laxmi Devi is a homemaker, while his younger sister Shweta Singh is pursuing her graduation. The family continues to cling to the hope that he will return home safely. However, the official declaration of his death has shaken that hope and caused deep emotional distress within the household.
“Sachin is my only son, and no one in our family has been able to accept that he is no longer alive. He last spoke to us a day before the incident. We are constantly praying for him,” said Chandraveer.
He added that since the day Sachin went missing, the family has remained in regular contact with the Uttarkashi district administration, repeatedly seeking updates about his whereabouts.
“Neither the Uttarakhand government nor the Uttarkashi district administration has issued any letter to me regarding Sachin’s whereabouts or any decision taken in his case,” he claimed.