A pall of grief descended on Khannipura village in Jaipur’s Chomu area as the mortal remains of BSF Head Constable Ratan Singh Shekhawat reached his home on Monday morning. He will be cremated with full military honors.

Incident during duty hours — Ratan Singh was posted with the 119th Battalion of the BSF in Murshidabad, West Bengal. On Saturday night, following a heated argument, fellow constable Shivam Kumar Mishra fired 13 rounds from an INSAS rifle at him. Five bullets struck Ratan Singh in the chest. He was rushed to Anupnagar Hospital and later to Jangipur Medical Facility, where doctors declared him dead.

Family devastated — His wife Phool Kanwar, son Surendra (27), and daughter Sonu Kanwar (23) are in deep shock. Sonu’s condition deteriorated, and she had to be put on IV. Villagers mourned the tragic loss, and several homes did not light their stoves in solidarity.

Last conversation with son — Surendra recalled speaking to his father around 9 PM that night. Ratan Singh had said his duty was until 1 AM. The incident happened just about 90 minutes later.

Veteran soldier close to retirement — Ratan Singh had joined the BSF in 1989 and had only 3 years of service left before retirement. He had returned to duty recently after a month-long vacation with his family.

Family demands martyr status — The family has demanded that Ratan Singh be declared a martyr. They say the government must take internal security breaches like this seriously and ensure justice is served.