Assam Rifles Trooper V Teja Dies After Bullet Injury in Nagaland, Wedding Was Set for December

RAYAGADA: An Assam Rifles rifleman from Odisha’s Rayagada district, V Teja, died after sustaining a gunshot wound during operational duty in Nagaland on Monday, October 5. He was just two days away from his 31st birthday and was scheduled to marry on December 10.

The Assam Rifles Trooper Death has triggered mourning in Rayagada, where hundreds of people gathered as his mortal remains were brought back from Nagaland. Teja was serving with the 15th Assam Rifles and had joined the armed forces in 2022.

Assam Rifles Trooper Death Comes Days Before Birthday

Teja was taken to a hospital in Nagaland after being struck by a bullet during operational duty, but doctors declared him brought dead.

The precise circumstances surrounding the shooting have not yet been publicly established. Naib Subedar Ravindra Kumar Naik of the 15th Assam Rifles said further details would become clearer after the post-mortem examination.

The distinction is important. While officials and the family have described the death as occurring during duty, the available reports do not establish how the fatal gunshot was sustained.

The incident comes shortly after an Assam Rifles ambush in Arunachal Pradesh that killed another Assam Rifles personnel and injured four others.

Odisha Soldier Was Preparing For December Wedding

The Odisha Soldier was due to turn 31 on October 7. His family had also been preparing for his wedding, which was scheduled for December 10.

According to The Economic Times, Teja had reportedly been granted 50 days of leave for the wedding and was expected to return home around Diwali.

Instead, his family is preparing for his final journey.

His mortal remains were flown from Nagaland to Visakhapatnam by helicopter before being transported by ambulance to Rayagada. Hundreds of residents gathered to pay their respects, with a motorcycle rally also organised in his honour.

Family Honours His Organ Donation Wish

Teja had reportedly pledged to donate his organs about two years ago. After his death, his family said that his wish was honoured, with organs retrieved and preserved at a hospital in Nagaland.

The decision has added another deeply personal element to the family’s grief as the community prepares to bid farewell to the young rifleman.

Odisha Leaders Pay Tribute

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the death, describing Teja as a brave member of the 15th Assam Rifles and offering condolences to his family.

Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also paid tribute, praising Teja’s courage and sacrifice during security operations in Nagaland.

The Assam Rifles Trooper Death has therefore drawn attention across Odisha, particularly in Rayagada, where residents have gathered to honour a serviceman whose return home was expected to be for his birthday and upcoming marriage.

For the Odisha Soldier, that homecoming has instead become a final farewell.