Pune: A 25-year-old Army cadet from Maharashtra’s Sangli district, Atharva Sambhaji Kumbhar, died during a cross-country event at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Gaya, Bihar, on Sunday morning.“It is a tragic incident. It happened during the battle training exercise. I offer my sincere condolences to the bereaved family. We lost one of the brightest cadets in an unfortunate manner. The events have left us surprised as Kumbhar was physically fit,” Lt Gen SS Dahiya, Commandant of the OTA Gaya, told TOI.Magadh Medical police station SHO Krishna Kumar said they got the body’s postmortem done to ascertain the cause of his death. He was rushed to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital, where doctor declared him dead.“It will not be appropriate to give any more information while the investigation is under way. It is our responsibility to make the cadets officers of the Indian Army. At present, there are about 400 cadets at the academy,” Lt Gen Dahiya said.According to Army sources, the incident occurred during the battle back run — a 20km training exercise with weapons on the back. “Kumbhar was a few hundred metres away from the culmination mark,” a senior Army officer told TOI.Kumbhar’s brother, Akshay, who works with a private company, told TOI, “He joined the academy in March. Before joining OTA, he was working with a multinational company in Hinjewadi. It was his childhood dream to become an Army officer. He left his IT job and joined the academy.”Kumbhar, who did his BE from Annasaheb Dange College of Engineering and Technology in Ashta, appeared for the NDA entrance exam after Std XII. “My brother did not make it to the merit list. He pursued engineering but never gave up on his dream. He studied hard and maintained his physical fitness while working full-time and cracked the Combined Defence Services (CDS) entrance exam. He resigned from his job to join the academy,” said Akshay, who is also an engineer.Kumbhar comes from an agricultural family. His father is a farmer and runs a small shop of agricultural equipment in the village. “He never complained about any difficulties during the training. On early Sunday morning, we got a call from an official of the OTA. He informed us that Atharva collapsed during a 20km run and died,” Akshay added.Ankur Chaturvedi, an officer training cadet of the NDA who was boarded out in 1996 and has been representing other such cadets for several years, told TOI, “It is a profound tragedy to lose a young and promising life in the service of the nation. While the govt will grant a monthly ex gratia, the denial of a proper family pension is deeply disappointing. It not only undervalues the sacrifice made but also adds to the anguish of the bereaved family, compounding their loss.“Kumbhar’s body will be flown to Pune airport and then taken to his village by road for final rites on Tuesday.(With inputs from Alok Kumar in Gaya)
