Rambeer Singh Tomar, AC

Biography

Naik Rambeer Singh Tomar was born on 15 August 1970 in Prempura, Morena, Madhya Pradesh. Following in the footsteps of his father, a serving officer, he joined the Indian Army on 28 July 1989 at the age of eighteen and was inducted into the 15th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, renowned for its brave soldiers and many battle honours. After serving with his parent unit, he was later deputed to 26 Rashtriya Rifles, deployed on counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir. On 18 October 2001, his unit received information about the presence of terrorists in a house in a village in Doda district. During the assault, Naik Rambeer volunteered to lead the team storming the building. Displaying remarkable agility and courage, he killed two terrorists with grenades and, after a fierce hand-to-hand struggle, overpowered and shot a third. Sensing the threat to his comrades, he stormed an adjoining room, where a hidden terrorist shot him in the eye. Despite grievous bleeding, he hurled a grenade and killed the fourth terrorist, single-handedly eliminating all four. Severely wounded, he later succumbed to his injuries. For his conspicuous bravery, inspiring leadership and indomitable fighting spirit, he was awarded the Ashok Chakra, the nation's highest peacetime gallantry award.