The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Army authorities to pass a speaking order regarding the cause of death of an Agniveer, Akashdeep Singh (20), who died on duty a year ago in Jammu & Kashmir.His parents, Karamjit Kaur and Balwinder Singh, who have been fighting to find out the reason for Akashdeep’s death, had approached the high court as the Army didn’t respond to them on the issue.In the high court, the couple submitted, through their counsel Rajesh Sehgal, that the Army told them that the Court of Inquiry (CoI) would ascertain the cause of their son’s death, but to date, neither the CoI nor its result, opinion nor the directions of the competent authority have been communicated.On May 1, the high court directed the Senior Record Officer of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment and Commanding Officer of the 8 Mechanised Infantry, whoever is the competent officer duly authorised, “shall examine each and every issue raised in the petition” as well as the contents of the notice of demand and “shall pass a reasoned and speaking order in accordance with law within a period of six weeks.”Justice Sandeep Moudgil further directed that “a reasonable opportunity of personal hearing shall be granted to the petitioners”.Mother Karamjit Kaur still remembers the last phone call Akashdeep made to her a day before his death. He used to talk to his parents on video calls a couple of times a day to ask about their well-being.“It was 9.24 pm. It was a video call, but the lights went out in our village (Chahal, 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,” said Karamjit.The next morning on May 15, 2025, Akashdeep allegedly died under mysterious circumstances due to three gunshot injuries in a field area in Awantipora, Anantnag. It was the time around when India had launched Operation Sindoor.His father Balwinder Singh, a farmer, received a call from a Naib Subedar about Akashdeep’s death around 9.30 am the same day. “Thereafter, I tried to call Army officials, but no one responded,” he said.Army personnel handed over the body on May 16 at their house in Faridkot, where it was cremated.In June 2025, the parents met the Commanding Officer (CO) and other unit officers and personnel, but no one told them about the circumstances of his death.“Verbally, they were told that Akashdeep died by suicide. He was on duty in an operational area, which comes under 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 will be ascertained after the CoI,” submitted Sehgal.Balwinder said he too had talked to his son a day before his death around 6.30 pm. “He was in good spirits and told me there was a party at night in the unit. He could not have committed suicide,” he added.To seek answers about his death, they even went to the spot in the jungle where he died.On September 15, 2025, the Awantipora police told the parents that the inquest proceedings had been closed as a suicide.The parents then filed RTI applications with the Army authorities and even filed appeals, but the CoI report was not provided.They have not been granted two years’ pay for their son, nor has Rs 44 lakh been granted as ex gratia relief. Only Rs 48 lakh towards the insurance cover has been released. “We have not approached the high court for financial benefits, but we want to know under what circumstances he died,” said Karamjit.