Major Ketan Sharma was killed in an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.

Hours before Major Ketan Sharma took on militants in the Anantnag encounter, the officer sent a photo of himself on the family WhatsApp group and remarked, "Maybe this is my last photo".

Later in the day, family members of the 29-year-old were visited by Army officers who informed them that Major Ketan Sharma had succumbed to his injuries sustained in a gunfight in Achabal area of south Kashmir.

Major Ketan Sharma's cousin said that when the officer sent the message on early Monday morning, his wife and brother-in-law checked on him, but he did not respond, The Indian Express reported.

As thousands turned up to pay their last respects to Major Ketan Sharma after his mortal remains were brought to his hometown Meerut, his father recounted moments with his son. "He always asked me to take care of his mother since she is unwell," Sharma's father Ravinder said.

#WATCH Army personnel console family members of Army Major Ketan Sharma who lost his life in Anantnag encounter yesterday. His mother says, "Mujhe batado mera sher beta kahan gaya? " #Meerut pic.twitter.com/Rl3wnpQ5gd ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 18, 2019

As officers consoled the Sharma family, the Major's daughter played with her cousin, unaware that she has been orphaned.

Major Sharma's family told The Indian Express that Ketan left a high-paying job in Gurgaon to serve the country. Another cousin of his said that one of Sharma's uncles was also in the Army. "He grew up in the cantonment area and was always inclined towards armed forces," the cousin said.

When Sharma couldn't get through NDA (National Defence Academy), he gave the Combined Defence Services exam and finally became a Lieutenant in 2012. He soon married Era and later the couple had a daughter.

READ | Thousands pay last tribute to Major Ketan Sharma

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