Gajjan Singh

Biography

Sepoy Gajjan Singh hailed from Panchranda village in the Ropar (Rupnagar) district of Punjab. The son of Shri Charan Singh and Smt Malkeet Kaur, he was the youngest of four brothers. Fascinated by army life from his childhood, he nurtured a dream of donning the uniform and fulfilled that ambition in 2012 when, after completing his school education, he joined the Army. He was recruited into the 23 Sikh battalion of the Sikh Regiment, an infantry unit renowned for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours. After serving for a few years, Sepoy Gajjan Singh was later deputed to the 16 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, deployed in Jammu & Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. By 2021 he had accumulated around nine years of service, having served across varied terrain and demanding operational environments. During 2021 his unit was deployed in the Poonch sector along the volatile Line of Control, an area frequently used by terrorists for infiltration under cover of artillery fire or with the help of Border Action Teams. Acting on intelligence about the presence of four to five hardcore terrorists in the Surankote area of Poonch, the security forces launched a search and cordon operation in the early morning of 11 October 2021, and Sepoy Gajjan Singh was part of the team assigned to the task. The operation, which began in the forested Chamrer area, spread to the adjoining Bhangai village of Rajouri by evening. In the villages close to Dera Ki Gali, a fierce gun battle erupted as the advancing troops closed in on the terrorists. During the heavy exchange of fire, Sepoy Gajjan Singh and four fellow soldiers were severely wounded and later succumbed to their injuries. He laid down his life in the service of the nation at the young age of 26.