Kundan Kumar Ojha (24) of Jharkhand’s Sahebganj district was among Indian Army personnel killed in skirmishes in Galwan Valley of Ladakh on Monday night.

Kundan, a jawan (sepoy) of the 16th Bihar Regiment, was scheduled to return home to Dihari village under Sadar area of Sahebganj district to see his daughter born three weeks ago. But he couldn’t because of the escalation in tension along the LAC on the India-China border.

Chief minister Hemant Soren expressed his condolences to the martyred jawan’s family. “We are proud of our brave son of Jharkhand #KundanOjha who sacrificed his life along with two other armymen in the line of duty. I salute all of them and Jharkhand Govt and the entire state stands in solidarity with Kundan's family in this hour of bereavement,” he tweeted from his official handle.

According to sources in Sahebganj, near the Bengal border some 400km from Ranchi, Kundan got married two years back in Sultanganj, which was a year after he joined the Army. He was posted in Leh.

“His father, Ravi Shankar Ojha, is a small-time farmer. Kundan is survived by two brothers and a sister, besides his wife and a three- week-old daughter. He was about to come home but due to tension on the border, he couldn’t,” said a local journalist who visited his home on Tuesday.

Sahebganj deputy commission Varun Ranjan told newspersons that they were yet to receive a formal communique from the Army. However, he said, he had sent team of officers to his house to meet Kundan’s family. “His family members got the news from his regiment, we have learnt. Kundan will be laid to rest with full state honours when his mortal remains arrive.”

In light of the increased tension on Indo-China border, a train of over 1,000 labourers from Santhal Parganas that was scheduled to leave Dumka on Tuesday to Leh to work in projects manned by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), did not leave.

Chief minister Hemant told reporters at Project Building that the train, the second one carrying labourers from Jharkhand, had been suspended till the situation on the border improved.

“We are committed to participate in national security works and nation building and our people from Santhal Parganas have been going there since decades to build roads. However, in view of the fresh tensions, we have suspended the train for the time being in view of the security of our people. Once the situation normalises, the state government along with BRO will resume sending our men to the borders,” he said.

Among the others who offered their condolences to Kundan’s family were state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon and BJP leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi