Dharamvir Yadav, the dead soldier in Army records who returned home after seven years now faces a task of proving that the memory loss and its salvage story he is narrating is correct. The soldier had completed 15 years and six months of the service when he went missing after an accident near Connaught place located at Chakrata road in Dehradun on November 27, 2009. The army started giving family pension which is 30 percent of the last salary drawn to his wife Santosh Yadav, three years after he went missing, presuming him dead as per the norms .
The President of Uttarakhand Ex services league, Brigadier RS Rawat (Rtd) said that now onus to prove his version of memory loss due to an accident and its regaining by another accident lies on Yadav. He added that Yadav should come out clear and prove that he is a victim of circumstances and not a deserter. Brigadier Rawat said that the Rashtriya Indian Military Academy (RIMC) where he was posted on deputation would send a report to the formation headquarters or army headquarter which in all probability would set up a court of Inquiry (COI) on the issue. The COI would take the version of Yadav, the statements of his companions on the day of his disappearance and the medical reports. Another retired army officer, Colonel Pl Parashar said that the incident is unprecedented and it would be interesting to know the findings of the inquiry.
When contacted, the father of the soldier, Kailash Yadav who too is an armed forces veteran said that the issue would be decided by the army now. He informed that his son still has one and half years of service left. In army, a Havildar retires after 24 years of service. Kailash Yadav said that his son is suffering from a head injury and the doctors have suggested that he has made 70 percent recovery now. He added that the doctors are of the view that Dharamvir don’t need any surgery and pills would help him recover fully.
Dharamvir made into the national news when in a dramatic turn of events he turned up to his home in Alwar district of Rajasthan. He was presumed dead by Army and his family. The medical experts have raised doubts on his claim that he regained his memory after meeting with an accident in Haridwar.