Ajay Kumar, SC

Biography

Sepoy Ajay Kumar was born on 25 June 1992 in Kotla Panjola village of Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh. After completing his schooling, he joined the Indian Army and was enrolled in September 2013, at the age of 21, into the 8th Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. After serving for a few years, he was deputed to 42 Rashtriya Rifles, deployed for counter-terrorism operations in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2018 his unit was operating in the Tral area, a volatile region long regarded as a hub of militant activity. On 24 April, acting on intelligence about the presence of terrorists in the Lamoo forest area of Tral, a joint team of 42 RR, the State Police Special Operations Group and the CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation. As the encounter unfolded, Sepoy Ajay was assigned as scout for the initial search of the terrorist hideout and drew heavy fire from the militants. Displaying exemplary courage, he engaged the enemy and enabled his team to take cover without casualties. During the intense exchange he gunned down a terrorist but sustained grievous injuries, including a gunshot wound to the head, and later succumbed at the 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar. For his exemplary bravery, fighting spirit and supreme sacrifice, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra.