Sumeet Roy, VrC

Biography

Born on 10 September 1977 in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, Sumeet Roy — affectionately nicknamed 'Koochi' by his parents — dreamt of serving in the armed forces from an early age. A gifted young man who excelled in horse riding, karate and academics alike, his determination eventually earned him a commission and he was posted to 18 Grenadiers, an infantry battalion renowned for its fearless soldiers. In 1999, his unit was deployed to the Kashmir Valley as part of Operation Vijay and later moved into the Kargil sector under Colonel S.K. Chakravarti, where it played a key role in the capture of Tololing. Tasked with retaking Point 4700 on the treacherous icy slopes of Tololing in the Dras sector, Captain Sumeet led a section as part of a light machine gun commando team assigned to seize Pakistani bunkers. On the night of 28–29 June 1999, he stealthily scaled the rock face to the enemy observation post and, disregarding his own safety, killed both sentries in fierce hand-to-hand combat, forcing the enemy to abandon the post along with weapons and ammunition. His action turned the course of the battle and cleared the path to victory. Later wounded by enemy artillery fire, he succumbed to his injuries on 3 July 1999, and was awarded the Vir Chakra for his exceptional bravery and leadership.