An Army official and social activists pay tributes to Captain Navpal Singh Sidhu in Sriganganagar on Sunday. Tribune photo

Abohar, December 31

Tributes were paid today to Captain Navpal Singh Sidhu on his 15th Balidan Diwas at his memorial located outside his native village 40 RB, near Padampur in Sriganganagar region.Havildar Ashok Rokade arrived from Kolhapur to lay a wreath at the memorial on behalf of the 19 Maratha Light Infantry Commanding Officer, Col Manish Tiwari. A ‘sehaj path’ was also performed in the village gurdwara. Rokade had served with Sidhu for two years before the ambush. “The Army is proud of such brave hearts,” Colonel Tiwari said in a message. Captain Navpal Singh Sidhu of the 19 Maratha Light Infantry was killed in 2002 after he gunned down three PoK-trained terrorists in the Surankote area of Poonch region in Jammu and Kashmir. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously. His father, Lt Col Agyapal Singh Sidhu, had earlier led the offensive against the Pakistani army in 1965 and 1971. — OC