Manjit Singh

Biography

Sepoy Manjit Singh hailed from Sirvewala village in the Bhatinda district of Punjab. Born into a family of modest means, he grew up with four sisters and a brother. Drawn to the armed forces from his younger days, he set his heart on a career in uniform and, after completing his school education, was selected to join the Army. He was recruited into the 17 Sikh LI battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment, a distinguished infantry regiment with a rich history of valour and battle honours. During 2021, Sepoy Manjit Singh's unit was deployed in the Naushera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, manning the forward posts along the Line of Control. As the area was highly volatile and prone to infiltration, the unit maintained strict vigil at all times and conducted armed patrols with regular frequency. Landmines along the patrol routes posed a constant and serious danger to the troops. On 30 October 2021, Sepoy Manjit Singh was part of a team tasked with undertaking an area domination patrol in the unit's area of responsibility. As he moved through the challenging terrain alongside team leader Lieutenant Rishi Kumar and other comrades, a massive mine blast occurred around 6 pm. The explosion had a devastating effect, severely injuring three soldiers. Sepoy Manjit Singh, Lieutenant Rishi Kumar and another soldier bore the brunt of the blast and were critically wounded. Despite being rushed to a nearby medical facility for emergency treatment, Sepoy Manjit Singh and his officer later succumbed to their injuries. A gallant soldier, Sepoy Manjit Singh laid down his life in the line of duty.