Colonel Navjot Singh Bal loses battle to cancer, passes away at 39 in Bengaluru

Shaurya Chakra awardee and former commanding officer of the 2 Para, Colonel Navjot Singh Bal passed away in Bengaluru on Thursday, April 9. He was 39-years old and had been battling cancer for the last two years, as per reports. Col Bal is survived by his wife and two sons. 

According to reports, he was detected with a rare form of cancer in May 2018, after which he was put on chemotherapy and later in January 2019, his right arm had to be amputated due to cancer. However, he had continued to work as the commanding officer. 

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Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh pays tribute

Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh expressed his grief over the demise of Colonel Navjot Singh Bal. According to him, Col Bal's demise is a huge loss for the Indian Army. 

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About Col Navjot Singh Bal

As per reports, Col Navjot Singh Bal who hailed from a military family had joined the National Defence Academy in 1998. Later in 2002, he was commissioned to the Bangalore-based 2 Para, where he took over as the Commanding Officer in 2018.

Meanwhile, Col Bal was also posted at the Northern Command’s Operation section during the 2016 surgical strikes. Further, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for an operation in the upper ranges of the Kashmir Valley. 

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Image Source: Twitter