Kargil war hero Satpal Singh who was awarded the Vir Chakra for his heroics in the battle of Tiger Hill recently came into the limelight when an Indian Express report showed him working as a head constable in a small Punjab town, where his duties involved directing traffic.

During the Kargil war, Satpal Singh then a Sepoy in the Indian Army, successfully fought off a Pakistani counterattack and killed four Pakistani soldiers including Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Northern Light Infantry.

Sher Khan was later awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry honour - the Nishan-e-Haider.

Following the battle, Singh’s brigade commander M P S Bajwa recommended that he be awarded the Param Vir Chakra - India’s highest wartime military honour. Singh was ultimately awarded the Vir Chakra.

Singh’s army stint ended in 2009 and he joined the Punjab Police a year later under the ex-servicemen quota. He laments that his stature as a Vir Chakra awardee did not earn him any weightage and almost nine years later he is employed as a head constable.

“Sportspersons winning medals are also given higher ranks… I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive”, Singh was quoted as saying.

The media report went viral on social media and the matter was brought to the attention of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Today afternoon (26 July) he announced on twitter that Singh has now been promoted to the post of assistant sub-inspector (ASI).