NCW Demands Arrest of Man Over 'Extremely Lewd' Comment on Captain Anshuman Singh's Widow

New Delhi: A derogatory comment about Smriti Singh, the widow of Kirti Chakra awardee Captain Anshuman Singh, has sparked outrage on social media, with users calling for action against the individual responsible. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also intervened, sending a letter to the Delhi Police demanding immediate and appropriate action. The offensive remark was posted on a photo of Singh at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where she received the award on behalf of her martyr husband. 

Captain Singh, posted with 26 Punjab as a medical officer had sacrificed his life while rescuing his colleagues at an Indian Army camp in the Siachen glacier.

In a letter issued on Monday, the NCW referenced specific legal provisions that the comment violates, including Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which penalizes acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with the punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. The letter outlines the penalties under these laws, noting that the offenses can result in imprisonment for up to three years and fines for first-time offenders, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses.

The NCW has asked the Delhi Police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the person and to arrest him at the earliest. The Commission has also demanded a fair and timely investigation into the matter and requested a detailed action taken report within three days.

'Won't die ordinary death'

“I would die with a brass on my chest; I would not die an ordinary death.” A heartbroken yet proud Smriti Singh recalled these words of her late husband, Captain Anshuman Singh of the Army Medical Corps, who was posthumously honoured with the Kirti Chakra for exceptional bravery. 

Dressed in a white saree and visibly grieving, the young widow, accompanied by her mother-in-law Manju Singh, received India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award from President Droupadi Murmu during an investiture ceremony.

‘Love At First Sight’

In a video shared by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence on social media, Smriti shared her memories of her husband and how they became soulmates. “He was very much capable. He would tell me, ‘I would die with a brass on my chest. I would not die an ordinary death like no one would know.’,” recalled Smriti. And, indeed the story of his death is anything but ordinary. Capt Singh died while rescuing people from a major fire in July last year.

The video posted on ‘X’ by the Ministry of Defence spokesperson has been widely shared on the social media platform. In the clip, Smriti could be seen fighting tears as she shared that their relationship began with “love at first sight” and after eight years of long-distance relationship, they got married.

“So, we met on the first day of college. I don’t want to be dramatic but it was love at first sight. After a month, he got selected into the AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College). We met at an engineering college but then he got selected in a medical college. Super intelligent guy. From then on, after just one month of meeting, it was a long-distance relationship for eight long years,” she recalled.

“Then we decided to get married. Unfortunately, within two months of marriage, he got posted to Siachen. On July 18, we had a long conversation about how our life will be in the next 50 years. We are going to build a house, we are going to have kids, whatnot. On the 19th morning (last year), I got up, and I got a call that he is no more,” Smriti said.

She said that she has been unable to come to terms with the loss till today. “For the first seven to eight hours, we could not accept that anything of that sort has happened. Till date, I am not coping. Just trying to figure out thinking maybe it is not true.

“But now that I have the Kirti Chakra in my hand, I realise it is true. But it’s okay, he is a hero. We can manage a little of our lives because he has managed a lot. He gave up his life and family so that the other three army families could be saved,” the proud wife said.