Vinod Kumar Katewa

Biography

Lance Naik Vinod Kumar Katewa hailed from Rajgarh tehsil in the Churu district of Rajasthan. He enlisted in the 18 Grenadiers Battalion on 30 June 1993, joining the ranks of one of the Indian Army's most decorated infantry units. During the Kargil conflict in the summer of 1999, the 18 Grenadiers were tasked with recapturing the formidable heights of the Tololing complex in the Drass sector, which Pakistani intruders had occupied to dominate the vital Srinagar-Leh highway. On the night of 13 June 1999, as part of Operation Vijay, Lance Naik Katewa took part in the assault on Tololing Top alongside Major Vivek Gupta's Charlie Company. Advancing up steep, exposed slopes at nearly 15,000 feet under intense enemy fire, he pressed home the attack with great courage. In the course of this decisive battle, which saw Tololing wrested back from the enemy in the first major Indian victory of the Kargil War, Lance Naik Vinod Kumar Katewa laid down his life for the nation. He is remembered with deep respect for his valour and his unflinching devotion to duty.