Raj Kumar

Biography

Subedar Raj Kumar was born on 9 March 1970 in Khani village of the Nurpur area in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The son of a seasoned Army veteran, he joined the Indian Army in 1999 and was assigned to the 24 Punjab Regiment, a unit renowned for its brave soldiers and numerous battle honours. Over nearly eighteen years of service across various operational theatres, he rose through the ranks to become a Junior Commissioned Officer, proving himself a dedicated and capable soldier. As a Subedar he was later posted to the 53 Rashtriya Rifles, deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terrorism operations. In 2017 his unit was deployed in the Drang area of Beerwah in Budgam district, a region heavily infested with militants that demanded constant vigilance. On 9 October 2017, Subedar Raj Kumar was leading one such armed patrol. As the patrol was returning to base, a group of militants launched a pre-planned ambush. Though the attack was sudden, he and his men retaliated with full force. During the heavy exchange of fire he was hit by bullets and grievously wounded, later succumbing to his injuries and making the supreme sacrifice for the nation.