Prem Kumar Patil

Biography

Captain Prem Kumar Patil hailed from Maharashtra but grew up in Gujarat. He completed his schooling in Vapi and earned his graduation degree from Vallabh Vidyanagar in Gujarat. During his student days he joined the NCC, which inspired him to pursue a career in the Indian Army. After graduating, he cleared the Combined Defence Services examination and was commissioned into the 80 Field Regiment of the Artillery. Between 2009 and 2014 he served at Gangtok and Jodhpur, after which he was deputed to the 36 Rashtriya Rifles unit in Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2015, his unit was deployed in the Gurez Sector for counter-terrorism operations near the Line of Control. On 7 August 2015, following intelligence of suspicious activity, a Seek and Destroy Operation was launched and Captain Patil was tasked to lead it. When challenged, terrorists opened fire and a fierce encounter began. Leading from the front, he gunned down two terrorists and pressed the pursuit despite continuous cross-border covering fire from Pakistani troops. While chasing the militants down a steep 80-degree slope, he lost control and fell nearly 280 feet into the Naushernar river below, sustaining grave injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but later succumbed, laying down his life in the service of the nation.