BY SUSHIL KUMAR SUMAN,
PRESIDENT, IISCO OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (IOA)
BURNPUR | 18 MAY 2025
“April 22, 2025, was meant to be the day of celebration. But destiny had other plans.
Dr. Vijay Deshmukh, a compassionate doctor from King George Medical College, Lucknow, had chosen the path less trodden. Leaving behind a lucrative medical practice, he had spent the last three years in Delhi, immersed in civil services preparation.
Sanjay Ahluwalia, an IIT Delhi alumnus with a degree in Electrical Engineering, shared the same determination. For three years, he too had been living in Mukherjee Nagar, aspiring for a future of service.
Barkha Singh, a former student of Lady Shri Ram College, had been preparing for six long years. Her dedication was unwavering, her vision clear.
And then there was Chandana Mukherjee, a sharp mind from Presidency College, Kolkata. In Delhi for three years now, she brought calm to the group with her composed demeanor and deep analytical thinking.
The four had formed an unbreakable bond, united by dreams, struggle, and the elite classrooms of Vajiram IAS Academy. They supported one another through every test, mock interview, and moment of self-doubt.
April 15–17, 2025. The UPSC personality tests. Nervous smiles. Crisp formals. Hearts pounding. One after another, they entered the grand halls of Dholpur House. And one after another, they walked out with hope.
The moment the interviews concluded, a long-awaited plan was executed — a trip to Kashmir, the crown of India.
18th April 2025: The four friends arrived in Srinagar. The air smelled of spring. The Dal Lake shimmered under the morning sun. They floated in shikaras, sipped kahwa, and let their souls wander through the Mughal Gardens.
In Gulmarg, they laughed like children in snow. On the gondola ride, they felt on top of the world — unaware of the storm waiting beyond the valley.
On 22nd April, they reached Pahalgam. It was meant to be the day they celebrated freedom and dreams. Results were due that day. They roamed the valleys, danced near Lidder River, and captured countless pictures.
But at 2:15 PM, everything changed.
Gunshots pierced the serene air. A sudden terrorist attack near the Pahalgam market area turned paradise into a nightmare. Civilians screamed. Blood spilled. Chaos reigned.
Terrorists fired indiscriminately, asking names and religion before pulling the trigger.
Panicked and disoriented, the four friends ran for their lives. In the chaos, they found a Maruti van, offered Rs. 10,000, and begged the driver to take them far away.
The van sped through the winding roads and dropped them near Anantnag — dangerously close to the Pakistan border.
And then, it happened.
At 4:50 PM, Pakistani soldiers patrolling the LoC mistook them for infiltrators and arrested them.
At 3:03 PM on the same day, the UPSC declared its 2025 results.
Vijay: AIR 67
Sanjay: AIR 71
Barkha: AIR 61
Chandana: AIR 73
Their names glowed on screens across India, but they lay imprisoned in a jail near Anantnag, unaware.
Back in Delhi, their families received news of the result. Tears flowed freely — tears of pride and anxiety.
But by then, their children were unreachable.
Investigations revealed they had gone to Kashmir.
The Pahalgam attack was all over the news, but their names were not on any casualty list. Desperate, their families reached Delhi, filed reports, met Home Ministry officials, and pleaded:
“Our children are missing. They have cleared the civil services. Please, find them.”
India responded to the attack with intense counter-terrorism operations.
The Indian DGMO unleashed a series of covert missions. Sleeper cells were neutralized. Intelligence tightened.
Tensions with Pakistan escalated. Borders lit up with fire. Air strikes targeted camps across the LoC.
On 10th May 2025, at 5:00 PM IST, the Pakistani DGMO requested a ceasefire.
The Indian Army, amid post-ceasefire dialogue, raised the issue of the missing four.
After relentless tracing and diplomatic pressure, on 13th May, it was confirmed:
They were alive — in a jail near the Anantnag Pakistani post.
16th May 2025: An Indian delegation met the four.
They handed over a newspaper — The Hindu, April 22, 2025.
The front page bore their names and ranks.
Tears. Laughter. Silence.
In a prison cell, they celebrated the most significant achievement of their lives.
Today, it’s 18th May 2025.
All legal formalities have been completed. The Pakistani government, under international pressure, has agreed to release them.
They are crossing the Wagah Border, escorted by the Indian Army.
Their families wait with garlands, tears, and gratitude.
*The sky is clear. India has embraced her children.₹
Life is strange.
In one moment, you’re running for your life; in another, you realize you’ve been selected to serve the nation.
Vijay, Sanjay, Barkha, and Chandana — four names, four souls, now forever etched into the heart of the nation.
They will join as district collectors, not just with degrees and designations, but with a story — of survival, patriotism, friendship, and fate.
“Indeed, what a life.”
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