Republic Day 2023: Nine tales of valour India must never forget

Major Shubhang
Dogra Regiment, 62nd Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles 
Awarded: Kirti Chakra

Major Shubhang personally led his team through inhospitable, rugged and thickly vegetated terrain in extreme weather conditions to lay a cordon on a village in Budgam district on April 2022. At 0345 hours, on observing suspicious movement, Major Shubhang displayed nerves of steel to allow suspects to reach as close as ten meters before challenging them, on which terrorists opened indiscriminate heavy small arms and Under Barrel Grenade Launcher fire, injuring the officer and two personnel of his team. Undeterred, Major Shubhang exhibited unparalleled valour despite sustaining a gunshot wound on the left shoulder and neutralising a hardcore terrorist in an intense extremely close-quarter firefight.

As the second terrorist continued to bring effective fire on his injured comrades, Major Shubhang crawled to change his position and engaged the terrorist, forcing him to seek hide in a nearby house, which resulted in his subsequent neutralisation. Thereafter, the injured officer evacuated the injured personnel from the operation site before being evacuated himself. 

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Naik Jitendra Singh
Rajput Regiment, 44 Battalion The Rashtriya Rifles
Awarded: Kirti Chakra

Naik Jitendra Singh, since December 2021, exhibited exceptional valour and courage as a lead guide in three operations resulting in the elimination of seven terrorists.
 
On 27 April 2022, an operation was launched in the Pulwama district on the input of the presence of two terrorists. Naik Jitendra spotted the terrorists who lobbed multiple grenades towards him and tried to break the cordon. Naik Jitendra got hit by a splinter. 

Showing nerves of steel, even after getting injured, Naik Jitendra crawled towards the target house and eliminated one terrorist in a close gunfight. The second terrorist again lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately towards Naik Jitendra, causing multiple gunshot wounds to him. Realising mortal danger to his buddy and troops in the cordon, Naik Jitendra, displaying supreme gallantry, crawled towards the terrorist and injured him in another close gunfight. Subsequently, he fell unconscious and was evacuated to 92 Base Hospital. 

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Major Aditya Bhadauria
Kumaon Regiment, 50th Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra

On 11 March 2022, time-critical input was received regarding the presence of terrorists in a village in the Pulwama District (Jammu and Kashmir). Major Aditya Bhadauria as mission leader, displayed exceptional leadership and tactical acumen in laying an impeccable cordon with surprise.  

During the evacuation of civilians from the target cluster, terrorists using assault rifles engaged troops with indiscriminate auto fire and grenades in which one civilian was injured. Major Aditya Bhadauria effectively retaliated, ensured the safe evacuation of civilians and tactically readjusted the cordon to foil an escape bid by terrorists. 

The hiding terrorists split up and continued engaging troops while their own fire was not effective on their positions. Major Aditya Bhadauria and his buddy stealthily crawled under fire towards one of the hiding terrorists. Undeterred by heavy hostile fire, he lobbed a grenade which forced terrorists out from cover, coming face to face with him. Exhibiting nerves of steel and raw courage, Major Aditya Bhadauria eliminated a hardcore foreign terrorist in a highly close-quarter firefight.

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Captain Arun Kumar
Kumaon Regiment, 13th Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra

Captain Arun Kumar was leading a surveillance cum ambush team in the hills of Bandipore district on 11 May 2022 on specific intelligence regarding the movement of terrorists. On 13 May 2022, at approximately 1500 hours, two terrorists were spotted. The officer appreciated the situation and readjusted troops in an aggressive posture to box the terrorists and deny them escape routes. On being challenged, the terrorists fired indiscriminately and took cover behind a boulder. 

The officer, with utter disregard to his personal safety, crawled as close as five meters from the terrorists amidst the intense fire. The terrorists lobbed two grenades towards a fellow officer, which he avoided tactfully. He decided to expose himself momentarily, confronting the terrorists in close proximity. In the firefight at close quarters, he gallantly neutralised one terrorist. Subsequently, the officer relocated himself to acquire a tactically advantageous position and took aimed shots which forced the second terrorist to expose himself, leading to his neutralisation.

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Captain Yudhvir
Mechanised Infantry, 9th Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra

On 11 April 2022, Captain Yudhvir led a covert surveillance and interception team based on specific intelligence regarding terrorist’s movement in vehicle in Kulgam district. 

On observing the suspect vehicle, Captain Yudhvir expeditiously gave pursuit and blocked the escape routes of terrorists. Terrorists being cornered opened a heavy volley of fire upon the officer. Undeterred by terrorist fire and unmindful of personal safety, the officer and his buddy engaged the terrorists with effective fire. 

Swift retaliation forced the terrorists to seek refuge in a nearby house, and the officer displaying a presence of mind, re-oriented his team into a close cordon. Terrorists, being surrounded, attempted to escape from the cordon by lobbing grenades and firing indiscriminately. Sensing danger to the life of civilians and his own troops, Captain Yudhvir displayed steely nerves and, in an act of conspicuous bravery, crawled to the likely escape route of terrorists and surprised them with a spectacular dash along with lethal and precise fire onto terrorists from the close range, thus eliminating a hardcore foreign terrorist.

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Captain Rakesh TR
9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Jammu for a public rally on 24 April 2022.  Amid heightened security for a visit, inputs of a likely fidayeen attack on the rally were received.

Captain Rakesh TR, alert troop commander of 9 PARA (Special Forces), was responsible for maintaining readiness to react to any terror-related incident in the region. On receiving input of likely terrorist presence in Jammu district, the alert troop immediately got mobilized. While on the move, Captain Rakesh received input of an attack by terrorists on a security forces convoy in which his own fatalities were suspected.  

On reaching the contact site located in the densely-populated area, Captain Rakesh quickly spotted terrorists using a quadcopter and manoeuvred tactically to place a close cordon around them.  On realising that they were surrounded, terrorists started firing indiscriminately to break the cordon and move towards the civilian area. 

Captain Rakesh sensing imminent danger to civilian lives, pinned down one of the terrorists by bringing down heavy fire on him and then, with utter disregard for his own safety and showing nerves of steel, charged towards the terrorist and neutralized him with accurate fire. 

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Naik Jasbir Singh
6th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra

Naik Jasbir Singh was part of the intelligence team deployed in an extremely rugged and densely forested area of Jammu and Kashmir.  The Non-Commissioned Officer always displayed astute professionalism and a high degree of intellect in analysing the input correctly.  

At around 0100 hours, the alert Non-Commissioned Officer observed the movement of two terrorists in the Kupwara district. Exhibiting tactical composure, he patiently allowed terrorists into the kill area and opened accurate and effective fire on them. In retaliation, he faced heavy indiscriminate fire from the terrorists. 

In a bold action, unmindful of his personal safety, displaying ingenuity, initiative, conspicuous gallantry and unparalleled bravery, he closed in with the terrorist under fire and neutralized one of them. Displaying daunting courage and devotion to duty, Naik Jasbir Singh continued to engage the second terrorist, thus injuring him. In the ensuing firefight, Naik Jasbir Singh sustained multiple gunshot wounds and made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Despite being grievously injured, showing utter disregard for personal safety and exceptional gallantry beyond the call of duty, he eliminated one terrorist and injured the other.

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Major Borawake Apoorv Suhas
3rd Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra

On 6 May 2022, on receiving specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a search and destroy operation was launched in a forested area of Anantnag district, where Lance Naik Vikas Choudhary was the operational buddy of Major Borawake Apoorv Suhas. 

Lance Naik Vikas Choudhary was deployed along with Major Borawake Apoorv Suhas to cordon off the target area and cover the likely escape route. At approximately 1500 hours, one terrorist attempted to escape and started indiscriminately firing on the cordon party, taking cover of the terrain and boulders. Lance Naik Vikas Choudhary, with utter disregard for his personal safety, displaying tremendous courage and outstanding firing skills, crawled to a tactically superior position. Displaying the presence of mind, he, under the covering fire of his buddy, dashed towards the terrorist and brought down effective fire, thereby neutralizing one hardcore terrorist. 

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Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh
Jammu and Kashmir Police
Awarded: Shaurya Chakra (Posthumously)

On 25 May 2022, an input of three heavily armed foreign terrorists travelling in a vehicle was received, and a Joint operation was launched in Baramulla. The terrorists were tasked to target the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. 

Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh, a seasoned soldier, was prompt to identify and challenge the suspicious vehicle. Sensing imminent danger, the terrorists tried to escape. To deny any opportunity to escape, he charged at the vehicle with utter disregard for his personal safety. Displaying raw courage, he dragged one terrorist out of the vehicle. The other terrorists now opened indiscriminate fire resulting in grievous injury to Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh. Despite profusely bleeding, undeterred by his wounds, he continued to hold the terrorist in hand-to-hand combat. 

In a swift response, he opened a volley of fire to neutralise the terrorist. He, however, succumbed to his injuries on the way to being evacuated. The operation led to the neutralisation of three terrorists and the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition, thereby averting a major incident.