Nishant Malik

Biography

Rifleman Nishant Malik originally hailed from Dhanderi village, though his family later settled in Hansi town of Hisar district in Haryana. The son of an army veteran, Jaivir Malik, who was injured during the Kargil War and retired in 2018, Nishant grew up wishing to follow in his father's footsteps. Pursuing this passion, he joined the army in 2019 at the age of nineteen after completing his school education. He was recruited into the 11 Rajputana Rifles battalion, an infantry unit of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment known for its brave soldiers and numerous battle honours. Having appeared for his BA final-year examination in July 2022, he returned to his unit on 18 July after one-and-a-half months of leave. During 2022, the 11 Rajputana Rifles battalion was deployed in the Rajouri district of Jammu & Kashmir, an area active with militancy and prone to cross-border infiltration, spanning dense jungle and rugged mountainous terrain. In the early hours of 11 August 2022, a group of armed terrorists dressed in police uniforms attacked the battalion base in the Parghal area of Darhal tehsil. At around 2 AM, alert sentries detected suspicious persons approaching the post under cover of inclement weather and dense foliage. When challenged, the terrorists hurled grenades and attempted to force entry. Rifleman Malik, joined by fellow soldiers, cordoned off the area and pinned the intruders down in a fierce gun battle that raged for about four hours. The troops eventually eliminated the two terrorists, but Rifleman Malik was among six soldiers severely wounded in the exchange of fire. He succumbed to his injuries, laying down his life in the line of duty at the age of twenty-one.