"He always used to inspire and guide me in different facets of my life," said Kapil, the younger brother of Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, an Indian Army jawan who lost his life amid cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces on Wednesday, 7 May.
"The last time I saw him was when he had come home in February," Kapil, who is also serving in the Army as an 'Agniveer', told news agency PTI.
"He would always call and speak to all of us at night before sleeping."
He further added that he was proud of his older brother, and the fact that he sacrificed his life for the nation.
The Indian Army had taken to X to confirm the death of 32-year-old Kumar, who hailed from Haryana's Palwal district and was posted in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch.
"General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Indian Army salute the the supreme sacrifice of Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, who laid down his life on 7 May 2025 during ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control," the post on X read.
Who Was Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar?
Kumar, who belonged to Mohammadpur village in Haryana's Palwal, had joined the Indian Army in 2014 and was recently promoted to the post of Lance Naik.
"We were informed that Dinesh, along with four other soldiers, was patrolling along the Line of Control (LOC)... He died in the mortar shelling. The entire nation is proud of him, and his sacrifice will be remembered. He was a brave soldier,” Kumar's father Daya Ram was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
He further added two other sons of his are currently serving in the Army as well—and that he would ensure that Kumar's son joins the Indian Armed Forces to "carry his father's legacy forward".
Meanwhile, village sarpanch Bhup Ram said that Kumar's wife Seema is an advocate by profession. The couple have two children — a son and a daughter — and Seema is expecting another child.
Kumar's mortal remains were brought back to his village on Thursday, 8 May, for his last rites amid hundreds of people raising slogans to honour his sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini took to X to pay tribute to the slain soldier.
"Every citizen of the country is proud of your martyrdom. This country will never forget your sacrifice. I salute this martyrdom," the chief minister said in a post in Hindi.
The tragic news of Kumar's death comes amid heavy artillery fire from Pakistani Armed Forces in response to India's Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, 7 May. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, at least 16 civilians have been killed and 59 injured due to heavy shelling by Pakistan.
(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times.)