Sukhwinder Jeet Singh Randhawa, KC

Biography

Major Sukhwinder Jeet Singh Randhawa hailed from the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. After completing his graduation he was selected for the Army through the competitive examination and was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery. He was later serving with the 2 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, deployed in the Anantnag district of Jammu & Kashmir for counter-terrorism operations. On 17 June 1997 Major Randhawa was leading an operation against militants when he was gravely wounded in the opening exchange of fire. Refusing to withdraw, he continued to engage the terrorists and neutralised two of them despite his severe injuries. When a comrade tried to pull him to safety he urged the men to press on with the mission rather than worry about him. His resolve inspired his unit to eliminate the remaining militants, but he succumbed to his wounds. For his conspicuous gallantry, leadership and supreme sacrifice, Major Sukhwinder Jeet Singh Randhawa was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra.