An official statement from the Navy said SNC’s chief of staff Rear Admiral SS Jamwal was killed in an “accident in the small arms firing range” at INS Dronacharya, a training compound in the Kerala port city at around 10.30 a.m. Wednesday while examining a gun.
“An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it said. Jamwal, 51, who hails from Jammu, was a specialist in anti-submarine warfare and an important link in India’s efforts to improve the Navy’s surveillance and detection capabilities after 9/11 Mumbai attacks.
Ruling out any foul-play in the death, Navy spokesman Commodore MR Ajayakumar said the top-ranking officer was checking to see why the pistol was not firing. He also denied reports of possible suicide.
“If the rear admiral had to commit suicide, he would not have gone to the firing range,” he said adding that a lot of officers were present when the incident happened.
The autopsy will take place at Medical College Hospital in Alappuzha Thursday followed by a formal service at the SNC headquarters in Kochi. His family is yet to decide where the funeral will be held.
An alumnus of Lawrence School Sanawar, National Defense Academy, Grechko Naval War College USSR, Defense Services Staff College Wellington and Army War College, he was commissioned in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer on July 1, 1980.
His appointments afloat included tenures on Indian Naval Ships Taragiri, Atul, Rajput, Ranvijay and Command of Ships Vibhuti and Kuthar, Commissioning Executive Officer of Guided Missile Destroyer Delhi and Commissioning Commanding Officer of Guided Missile Frigate Beas.
He was also joint director of staff requirement and director Naval operations and his training appointments include executive officer at Naval Academy, Goa and instructor at ASW School, Kochi. He was also the aide-de-camp (ADC) to the President of India between 1983 and 1985.
Prior to taking over as chief of staff, he was the Naval Attaché at the Indian Embassy at Moscow, Russia. The rear admiral leaves his wife Geeta and two children who live in the Kerala port city.
