The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Army authorities to pass a speaking order on the cause of death of an Agniveer who died in Jammu and Kashmir while on duty last year.The parents of the deceased soldier, Karamjit Kaur and Balwinder Singh, had approached the High Court after the Army allegedly failed to respond regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of their 20-year-old son, Akashdeep Singh.Appearing for the couple, counsel Rajesh Sehgal submitted before the court that the Army had informed the family that a Court of Inquiry (COI) would ascertain the cause of death. However, till date, neither the inquiry report, its findings, opinion nor directions of the competent authority had been communicated to them.On May 1, Justice Sandeep Moudgil directed the Senior Record Officer of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment and the Commanding Officer of 8 Mechanised Infantry (7 Punjab), whoever is competent officer duly authorised, to “examine each and every issue raised in the present petition” as well as the contents of the Notice of Demand, and to “pass a reasoned and speaking order in accordance with law within a period of six weeks”.The court further directed that “a reasonable opportunity of personal hearing shall be granted to the petitioners”.Last phone callKaramjit Kaur recalled speaking to her son for the last time a day before his death. Akashdeep regularly spoke to his parents through video calls and often asked about their well-being. He would also ask to see his dogs and his Bullet motorcycle.“It was 9:24 pm. That day too, it was a video call, but the lights went out in our village (Chahal in Faridkot). He switched to a voice call. He had even booked tickets for my younger son, who was leaving for an NCC camp in Hisar, and sent a screenshot,” she said.The next morning, on May 15, 2025, Akashdeep Singh allegedly died under mysterious circumstances after sustaining three gunshot injuries in a field area in Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.The incident took place around the time of Operation Sindoor.Balwinder Singh, a farmer, said he received a call from a Naib Subedar around 9:30 am informing him about his son’s death.“Thereafter, I tried to call Army officials, but no one responded,” he said.According to the parents, the post-mortem examination was conducted on May 15, 2025, without their consent. Army personnel handed over the body to the family on May 16 at their residence in Faridkot, following which the cremation was conducted.Akashdeep had joined the Indian Army as an Agniveer on July 4, 2023.Parents seek answersIn June 2025, the parents met the Commanding Officer and other unit officials, but, according to them, no one disclosed the circumstances under which their son died.Before the High Court, counsel Rajesh Sehgal submitted that the family was orally informed that Akashdeep had committed suicide.“He was on duty in Operational Area (OP Rakshak), which comes under HQ Northern Command. After a gunshot injury to the head, he was taken to 92 Base Hospital, where he was declared dead. It was stated in the initial report that the exact cause of death would be ascertained after the Court of Inquiry,” Sehgal submitted.Balwinder Singh maintained that his son was in good spirits when they last spoke.“I spoke to him around 6:30 pm a day before his death. He told me there was a party in the unit that night. He cannot commit suicide,” he said.In an effort to seek answers, the parents even travelled to the forested area where their son died and stayed there for a couple of days.After allegedly receiving no response from Army authorities, the family approached the Punjab Chief Minister and the Defence Services Welfare Department, Punjab.The Defence Services Welfare Department wrote to the Commanding Officer of Akashdeep’s unit on July 23, 2025. In response, the Records Office informed the parents on July 28, 2025, that whether the death was categorised as a battle casualty or physical casualty would be determined after completion of the Court of Inquiry.On September 15, 2025, the Awantipora police informed the family that the inquest proceedings had been closed as a case of suicide.The parents subsequently filed RTI applications and appeals before Army authorities, but the Court of Inquiry report was not shared with them.According to the family, they have not been granted two years’ salary benefits or the ex gratia amount of Rs 44 lakh. They have only received Rs 48 lakh under the insurance cover.Karamjit Kaur said she still regularly cleans her son’s room, where all his belongings have been preserved in a specially built glass almirah.“Once, Akashdeep surprised us by climbing over the house wall after arriving home on vacation,” she recalled.“We have not approached the High Court for financial benefits. We only want to know under what circumstances our son died,” she said.