J&K encounter: Major was married a year ago

A native of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Major Dhondiyal married 27-year-old Nikita Kaul in April 2018. He is now survived by his grandmother, mother, and three sisters, besides his wife, official sources said. On Monday, he sustained gunshot wounds in his neck and abdomen during the encounter with Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, whom he and his team had cordoned off around 12.30 am in village Pingalan of Pulwama district. He was among the four Army personnel martyred in the encounter.