Bharateshwar Rayappa Padanad

Biography

Craftsman Bharateshwar Rayappa Padanad belonged to Sankonatti village in Athani taluk of Belagavi district, Karnataka. The son of Shri Rayappa and Smt Godavari Padanad, he came from an economically modest family. He joined the Corps of EME of the Indian Army in 2006 after completing his school education and was attached to the 6 Dogra battalion of the Dogra Regiment. On 4 June 2015, the 6 Dogra battalion was moving towards Imphal, the capital of Manipur, in a convoy of vehicles. As the convoy crossed the Chandel district, it was ambushed between Paralong and Charong villages by a joint group of militants from the NSCN(K), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup and Kanglapak Communist Party. The militants triggered a landmine and opened up with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy automatic fire from vantage points, causing extensive damage to the convoy. It was one of the deadliest militant attacks in the region, claiming the lives of 18 brave soldiers. Craftsman Bharateshwar Rayappa Padanad was a brave and dedicated soldier who laid down his life in the service of the nation.