Vikram Singh Negi

Biography

Rifleman Vikram Singh Negi hailed from Viman Gaon village in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. The son of Shri Saab Singh Negi and Smt Birja Devi, he joined the army in 2016 at the age of 21. He was recruited into the 17th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment, an infantry regiment renowned for its brave soldiers and a rich history of battle honours. After serving for a few years, he was later deputed to the 48 Rashtriya Rifles battalion deployed in Jammu & Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. During October 2021, his unit was operating in the Poonch district of J&K, an area highly active with militancy. The nearby Line of Control remained volatile, with frequent ceasefire violations and a persistent threat of infiltration that demanded regular armed patrols. Acting on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists, the security forces, including troops of 48 RR, launched a search-and-destroy operation in the Nar Khas forest area of the Mendhar sector. Rifleman Vikram Singh Negi was part of the assault team tasked with this operation. The team soon made contact with the terrorists, who opened fire on being challenged. A fierce gun battle ensued with a heavy exchange of fire. As the cordon around the terrorists tightened, they fired indiscriminately in a desperate bid to break free. During the intense cross-fire, Rifleman Vikram Singh Negi, along with his comrade Rifleman Yogambar Singh, sustained gunshot wounds and was seriously injured. He later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred at the age of 26. Rifleman Vikram Singh Negi was a committed and valiant soldier who laid down his life in the line of duty.