Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia AC SM

During 1995, Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia’s unit was deployed in the J & K area for anti-insurgency operations. On 15 Sep 1995, Capt Arun’s unit received credible information from intelligence sources about the presence of 20 terrorists in a cave in Lolab valley. A decision was taken by the security forces to launch a search and destroy operation to nab the terrorists under the leadership of  Capt Arun. Capt Arun along with his troops swung into action and set off to an arduous climb towards the suspected hideout. After walking for about ten hours in darkness and rain, the team reached the general area at a height of approximately 3000 meters in the Lolab Valley of Jammu & Kashmir. As the team came closer to the cave, they were attacked by the militants from well-entrenched positions. Capt Arun, having realized the situation decided to face the terrorists himself and killed one with his commando knife. He killed one more terrorist with a hand grenade and lunged forward towards the cave.

While moving forward towards the cave Capt Arun got hit by a bullet in the shoulder and was grievously injured. But he refused to move back and in a rare show of courage, shot dead the terrorist who had fired at him. When he reached the cave, he was hit by two more bullets in the gut and chest and collapsed. Inspired by his bravery and leadership, the troops attacked the militants with double vigour and aggression and eliminated all of them. Capt Arun was evacuated and shifted to the nearby military hospital for treatment. Later he was shifted to the military R&R (Research and Referral) hospital in Delhi for advanced treatment. However after fighting for life for eleven days at the R & R Hospital, Delhi, he succumbed to his injuries on 26^th September 1995. Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia was a gallant soldier and a fine officer, who laid down his life at the age of 27 years in the service of the nation. He was awarded the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award “Ashok Chakra” for his outstanding courage, devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice on 26 Jan 1996. The Punjab government also conferred Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia with the “Nishan-e-Khalsa” award in 1999.

The citation for the "Ashok Chakra" awarded to him reads:

On 15th September 1995 Captain Jasrotia, SM of 9 PARA (SF) while leading his team in Lolab Valley, J&K came under heavy rockets and a small arms fire. In order to extricate his men, this brave officer crawled forward and in spite of being injured gravely killed one terrorist with his commando knife and neutralized the other terrorist by lobbing grenades. His brave and gallant action gave an opportunity for his comrades to take cover and engage the remaining terrorists effectively. In the ensuing firefight, the brave officer succumbed to his injuries. However, in retaliation, the commandos eliminated all remaining terrorists. For his gallant action, Captain Arun Jasrotia was awarded the highest peacetime gallantry award of ASHOK CHAKRA posthumously.

• Lt Col Prabhat Singh Jasrotia father of Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia while paying tribute to his son said, “the glint of his son’s eyes can’t be missed and he was proud to have a son like him who truly belonged to their family of war veterans”.

• The letter by then US envoy Frank Wisner to Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia’s father:   In a letter to Capt Arun Jasrotia’s father, Wisner wrote: “I admired you as you took the award in his memory. I met your son when I visited the Special Forces unit in Dehradun in June 1995 and I was most impressed by his professionalism.”