Tales of personnel who were honoured with Shaurya Chakra (File)
The Shaurya Chakra is the third highest peacetime military decoration after the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra. This year the following brave hearts are honoured with Shaurya Chakra.
Major Akhil Raj RVThe Grenadiers Regiment/ 55th Battalion The Rashtriya RiflesIn August 1 last year Major Akhil Raj RV got information about the presence of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in a house in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. In a meticulously planned operation he established a fool proof cordon with stealth and surprise around the area.
Not caring about his personal safety, he destroyed the dominating terrorists from close range and was successful in eliminating one of the most wanted terrorist in face of intense firing.
Captain Rohit ShuklaThe Rajput Regiment / 44th Battalion The Rashtriya RiflesCaptain Rohit Shukla had been tracking terrorist groups for two months. On July 3, last year he was able to generate a specific intelligence regarding presence of terrorists in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
He reached the area at around 7.40 am along with a team. The terrorists started heavy firing on the team of officers. Not caring about his own safety, Captain Rohit closed in with the terrorists and ordered firing, which forced the terrorists to change location.
The team then launched a search operation and during this they came under heavy firing from the terrorists. The terrorists even hurled a grenade which injured Captain Rohit's leg but in the face of heavy firing he led the evacuation of his team. He also was successful in killing some hardcore Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists.
Captain Abhinav Shukla 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)Captain Abhinav Shukla was part of the team tasked to clear a built up area in Badgam district of Jammu and Kashmir where terrorists were hiding after attacking a CRPF convoy on June 24 last year.
During close recce the officer was injured with grenade splinters. Despite the injury Captain Abhinav volunteered to lead his squad into the built up area. While clearing the built up area Captain Abhinav drew heavy fire from terrorists, however, he led his team resulting close quarter fire fight. He personally eliminated some most wanted terrorists and also successfully executed the operation.
Havildar Mubarik AliThe Grenadiers Regiment / 55th Battalion The Rashtriya RiflesOn July 30 last year, Havildar Mubarik Ali received an input about presence of terrorists in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Following this, at 3 am a search operation was launched.
Around 9 am, he noticed some suspicious people in a nearby by-lane. Immediately he went after them after which there was heavy exchange of fire. He got wounded, but not caring about his own safety he killed the terrorists.
Havildar Rabindra Thapa4/1st Battalion The Gorkha RiflesHavildar Rabindra Thapa is the post commander of Kilo III stop of the Sangam Complex along the Line of Control in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the night of June 7, while an intense cease fire violation was in progress, he continued to scan the area with a hand-held thermal imager and noticed some terrorists were across the Anti Infiltration Obstacle System.
Undermining his personal safety, he eliminated the terrorists in a brave fight.
Naik Narender Singh9th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)Naik Narender Singh was part of the forces deployed along the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir to check enemy attacks and infiltration in Noushera Sector.
On June 25 last year at around 4.45 in the morning, movement of heavily armed terrorists along the Line of Control came into notice of the forces. Soon, they intercepted the terrorists and there was heavy firing from the group of terrorists.
Realising the grave threat to the armymen, Naik Narender closed in with the terrorists and lobbed grenades to flush them out. Finding themselves cornered, the terrorists rushed out firing and lobbing grenades simultaneously. Undeterred by the fire, Naik Narender eliminated the hostiles at close quarters.
Lance Naik Badher Hussain 4th Battalion The Jammu And Kashmir Light InfantryOn June 7 at around 5 in the morning Lance Naik Badher Hussain and his started search operations in a dense forest in Uri district of Jammu and Kashmir.
At 11.40 am, Lance Naik Badher spotted terrorists and immediately warned his team. Following this a heavy firefight ensued in which a member of his team was injured. Undeterred, he continued firing at the terrorists which helped others to pull back the soldier injured to safety. However, the terrorists escaped.
He continued the search operations and when the terrorists were sighted again he eliminated them.
Paratrooper Manchu12th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)Based on an input about the movement of suspected NSCN(K) and ULFA(I) terrorists, the combined column of Major David Manlun and Captain (now Major) Nitesh Kumar, moved to establish a mobile vehicle check post in Mon district of Nagaland.
At around 10pm the team intercepted an autorickshaw which sped past the the check post. After being pursued, the terrorists in the vehicle started heavy firing and also lobbed grenades. In the fight, three soldiers were critically injured. Undetrred, Paratrooper Manchu fired at the terrorists eliminated them. He was grievously injured in both eyes and shoulder but despite bleeding profusely he pulled back two soldiers to safety.
Captain Pradeep Shoury Arya106 Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Para) Attached With 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)On May 28, Captain Pradeep Shoury Arya after receiving information of infiltration bid by terrorists including those of Lashkar-e-Taiba organised an ambush party.
At about 10.30 pm, Captain Pradeep detected movement of a group of 4-6 terrorists. Fearing the terrorists might slip away using the moon-less night and dense jungle foliage, the officer moved ahead with his team to intercept them and launched an attack. He closed in, and sitting over a fallen tree overlooking the terrorists Captain Pradeep, unmindful of his own safety came directly in contact with the terrorists and eliminated them.
The other men who received the coveted honour are CRPF's two cobra commandos for an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand's Latehar that led to the killing of six Maoist cadres besides the recovery of a heavy assortment of arms and ammunition in 2016. Assistant Commandant Vikash Jakhar and Sub-Inspector Riyaz Alam Ansari belonged to the 209th battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), a special CRPF unit raised for conducting intelligence-based jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations.
Air Force's Corporal Nilesh Kumar Nayan and Sergeant Khairnar Milind Kishor were also awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously. Corporal Devendra Mehta of the Air Force was also honoured with the coveted award.