‘No CCTV, No Access, No Answers’: Family Questions NDA Pune Over Cadet’s Death in Training

Pune, 26th October 2025: “Mera beta mere jivan ka aadhar tha. Ab wo bhi chala gaya. Ab meri zindagi bekaar ho gayi hai (My son was the pillar of my life. Now he’s gone, and my life has lost meaning),” said a tearful Rubikumari Yadav, mother of 19-year-old Aditya Kumar Yadav, a first-term cadet at the National Defence Academy (NDA) who drowned during a swimming training session on Thursday evening.

Rubikumari, who runs a small tuition centre in Ranchi to support her family, said her son’s dream was to become an Army officer. “He used to tell me, ‘Mummy, once I wear the uniform, I’ll solve all your problems.’ I was living for that day. Now, I have nothing left,” she said, struggling to hold back tears as she received his body in Pune on Saturday after the post-mortem at Sassoon General Hospital.

The incident occurred at the NDA’s swimming pool during a routine training session. Police officials said an inquiry has been initiated by the academy to determine the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.
Sub-Inspector Atul Kshirsagar from Uttamnagar police station said, “We have recorded statements of cadets and instructors present at the time of the incident. His viscera samples have been preserved for further examination. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after forensic reports. There are no CCTV cameras installed in the pool area.”

Aditya had joined the NDA in June this year and was reportedly performing well in training. His mother said he was learning to swim and had recently told her that he had mastered the basics. “He said he was improving and wanted to do better. He was full of confidence. I don’t understand how this could have happened when instructors were present at the pool,” she said, questioning the safety measures at the academy.

The grieving mother also claimed that the family was not allowed to meet any cadets or instructors after the incident. “If everything was fine, why didn’t they let us talk to them?” she asked.

Aditya’s maternal uncle, Nagesh Kumar, demanded greater accountability from the institution. “Losing a promising cadet like Aditya is heartbreaking. He was not just our son, he was a future Army officer. Such incidents shake the faith of parents who send their children to the academy with pride,” he said.

Aditya, an alumnus of Sainik School Nalanda, had always dreamed of serving in the Indian Army. “He would watch movies about soldiers and say he wanted to make the country proud one day,” said Rubikumari.

Coming from a financially modest background, Rubikumari earned around ₹10,000 a month by giving tuitions. Her husband lives separately, and she had raised Aditya and his younger sister largely on her own. “He was my pride and my reason to live. My younger daughter is still in school, but my life’s purpose was Aditya’s dream,” she said.

Her voice broke as she added, “He always said, ‘Mummy, on my passing-out day, I will salute you in uniform.’ That day will never come now.”

Friends and relatives remembered Aditya as disciplined, soft-spoken, and determined. He had secured the second rank in the All India Sainik School entrance exam and cleared the NDA examination in his first attempt.

As the family returned to Ranchi with his mortal remains, grief and unanswered questions lingered — about the safety protocols in India’s premier military academy and about a young cadet whose dream of donning the Army uniform ended far too soon.