Neeraj Kumar Singh, AC

Biography

Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh was born in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh and hailed from Devrala village. Son of Shri Omveer Singh and Smt Raja, he came from a farming family and was one of four siblings. Drawn to the Indian Army from a young age, he always aspired to do something meaningful with his life. On 24 August 2014, Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh was part of a 57 Rashtriya Rifles team that launched a search-and-destroy operation in the Kupwara sector. As the soldiers closed in on the militants in the Dhok area, they came under heavy fire. When a comrade was hit on his bulletproof jacket, Neeraj crawled forward and, disregarding his own safety, pulled his colleague to safety. A militant then targeted him with grenades and gunfire, but undeterred, Neeraj advanced and shot the terrorist dead. Struck by fire from another militant and severely wounded, he lost hold of his rifle, yet with rare courage he charged the terrorist, wrested away his weapon and killed him in hand-to-hand combat. Gravely injured, he refused evacuation until he lost consciousness, and later succumbed to his wounds at 92 Base Hospital. His actions accounted for three top Hizbul Mujahideen militants, and he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the nation's highest peacetime gallantry award.