Rifleman Sanjay Kumar

Sanjay Kumar worked as a Taxi driver for a private cab company during the period of 1993‐94. He appeared for entrance twice and was rejected both the times. His third attempt was successful and he was inducted into Indian Army on 4th June, 1996. Sanjay Kumar was the second recipient of from his unit for a single operation of capturing point 4875. The other recipient was Captain who was conferred the honor posthumous. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar comes from a family of soldiers. His uncle fought the 1965 war and his own brother is a Sepoy in Indo Tibetan border police (ITBP). In a major controversy in 2010, Sanjay Kumar was demoted from the rank of Havildar to Lance Naik without citing any reasons. Sources reported that the practice of saluting Param‐Vir Chakra recipients irrespective of their rank became the reason of a scuffle between Kumar and his seniors. He was promoted to Naib Subedar in 2014 and thus inducted as a JCO (Junior Commissioned Officer). Rifleman Sanjay Kumar volunteered to be the leading scout of the attacking column tasked to capture area Flat Top of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh Valley on 4 July 1999. During the attack when enemy automatic fire from one of the sangars posed stiff opposition and stalled the column, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar realizing the gravity of the situation and with utter disregard to his personal safety, charged at the enemy. In the ensuing hand‐to‐hand combat, he killed three of the intruders and was himself seriously injured. Despite his injuries, he charged onto the second sangar. Taken totally by surprise, the enemy left behind a Universal Machine Gun and started running. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar picked up the UMG and killed the fleeing enemy. Although bleeding profusely, he refused to be evacuated. The brave action on his part motivated his comrades and they took no notice of the treacherous terrain and charged onto the enemy and wrested the area Flat Top from the hands of the enemy. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar displayed most conspicuous gallantry, cool courage and devotion to duty of an exceptionally high order in the face of the enemy.