Tehatta, April 24: Jhantu Ali Sheikh, a 37-year-old para commando with the 6 Para Special Forces and a havaldar by rank, was martyred during a counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur on Thursday morning. A resident of Patharghata village of Tehatta in Nadia, Jhantu sustained fatal bullet injuries in an exchange of fire with militants during a combing operation in the Dudu-Basantgarh area, launched following intelligence inputs about terrorist movement.
The father of two—an 11-year-old son and a 7-year-old girl —was rushed to an army hospital after the encounter but succumbed to his injuries. Jhantu joined the force during 2008. His elder brother Rafiqul is also an Indian army jawan and posted in Kashmir. Youngest among the four siblings that include three brothers and a sister, Jhantu paid a visit to his native home in Patharghata of Nadia’s Tehatta on February this year. Last week he called home and talked to parents when he told about the growing tension in Kahsmir,
The tragedy unfolded against the backdrop of national grief and outrage over the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, where terrorists gunned down 26 tourists.
In a post on X, White Knight Corps to which he was attached stated that Jhantu made “supreme sacrifice during a counter terror operation…His indomitable couratge and the valour of his team will never be forgotten…”
The news of Jhantu’s martyrdom reached his home in Patharghata village, around 35 km from Krishnanagar on Thursday morning, just as his elderly parents and other family members were
discussing the Pahalgam attack and expressing concern for their two sons—both serving in the Indian Army and posted in Kashmir.
It was Jhantu’s elder brother, Rafiqul Sheikh—also serving in the Army and currently stationed in Kashmir—who broke the news to the family after being informed through official channels.
Family members recalled the moment of growing unease. Jhantu’s wife, Sahana, who lives in Agra to support their children’s education, first sensed something was wrong when army officials from Kashmir contacted her asking for Rafiqul’s number. Alarmed, she reached out to her sister-in-law Anindita Sheikh in Tehatta. Soon after, Rafiqul received confirmation of his brother’s death and shared the devastating news.
“Since the Pahalgam massacre, our whole family had been in a somber mood. We were furious over the attack and deeply anxious about my husband and brother-in-law, both posted in Kashmir. When I called my husband to check if everything was okay, he gave me the heartbreaking news,” Anindita recounted.
As word of Jhantu’s death spread, villagers flocked to the Sheikh household. What began as mourning soon turned into collective outrage, with locals demanding justice and stronger action against militancy in Kashmir.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally called the martyr’s grieving parents on Thursday to offer her condolences. In a tribute shared on X (formerly Twitter), Mamata wrote: “We pay solemn tribute to Havaldar Jhantu Ali Sheikh of 6 Para (Special Forces), Indian Army, who laid down his life in the line of duty during a counter-terror operation in Udhampur. A son of Patharghata village in Krishnanagar, he embodied the highest ideals of valour, selflessness, and service to the nation. In this hour of grief, our heartfelt condolences go out to his bereaved family. His sacrifice shall never be forgotten.”
She added: “Our MLA from Tehatta, Tapas Kumar Saha, visited the residence of fallen hero Havaldar Jhantu Ali Sheikh and met with his grieving father to convey condolences on behalf of the people of West Bengal. We stand in solidarity with his family during this time of profound loss.”
Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra also expressed her sorrow in a social media post, writing: “God bless his brave soul.”