Kargil martyr Capt Kalia remembered, father's quest for justice continues 26 years on

Twenty-six years after Kargil War hero Captain Saurabh Kalia was brutally tortured and killed by the Pakistani forces, his father remains committed in his quest to drag Pakistan to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for violations of the Geneva Convention.

- SUMIR KAUL

On what would have been his 49th birthday today, the enduring legacy of Captain Kalia was brought to the fore again by his 78-year-old father Dr NN Kalia, as he fights for justice over his son's brutal treatment in the custody of Pakistan.

Kalia, a retired senior scientist from the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), says he has full faith in the country's political leadership and judicial system and hopes those responsible for the heinous crime will be held accountable.

"His unmatchable martyrdom in this unique way awoke the whole sleepy nation, lit the patriotic fire in the country and had a catalytic effect on the entire armed forces," recalls the father.

Lt Saurabh Kalia, belonging to the 4-Jat regiment, had gone with five soldiers for a reconnaissance mission in Kaksar in Kargil in the third week of May 1999. The team went missing and the first news of their disappearance was broadcast on Askardu radio in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The bodies of Lt Saurabh, who was made captain posthumously, and his team -- sepoys Arjun Ram, Banwar Lal, Bhikaram, Moola Ram and Naresh Singh -- were handed over to India on June 9. The next day, on June 10, PTI broke the story about Pakistan's tale of barbarism.

The bodies were without their vital parts, eyeballs gouged out and noses, ears and genitals chopped off.