An Indian Army jawan from Haryana, Vikas Deshwal (29), died after suffering a heart attack in Patiala following sudden chest pain during a morning parade. His mortal remains were brought to his native village of Matlauda (Matlouda) in Panipat district on Sunday morning, where he was cremated with military honours.
Service record and the incident in Patiala
Deshwal, son of the late Ved Singh Deshwal, had joined the Indian Army on 14 June 2014 and was serving in the 501 Battalion. He was posted in Patiala when the medical emergency occurred. Reports say he complained of chest pain on the morning of 23 October during the parade, after which unit personnel took him to hospital.
His condition worsened again on the morning of 24 October. Doctors found that he had stopped breathing and declared him dead due to a heart attack.
Family left in grief
He is survived by his wife, a six-year-old son named Vivan, and an eight-day-old daughter. He had not been able to see his newborn daughter. His father had died about eight months earlier. Villagers described Deshwal as cheerful by nature, and the sudden death has left the family and the village in shock.
At the funeral in Matlauda village, six-year-old Vivan placed flowers on his father’s body and paid respects with folded hands, a moment that deeply moved those present. Army personnel accorded military honours before the last rites. The family was informed of the death through Commander S. Sachin.
What the reports say
The incident is being reported as a physical casualty caused by a heart attack, not as an operational or battle-related death. Local reports also note the emotional impact on the young family left without a father at a critical time.
This account is based on contemporaneous reports from Dainik Bhaskar and Punjab Kesari (25 October 2026). Details such as the wife’s name and the exact hospital involved have not been publicly confirmed in available reports.
