Service No : IC-44037F
Date of Birth : 1965
Place of birth : Hamirpur(HP)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Captain
Unit : 1 MLI
Arm/Regt : The Maratha Light Infantry
Operation : Op Pawan
Martyrdom : January 13, 1989
Capt Sanjay Dogra
Captain Sanjay Dogra hailed from Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh and was born in the year 1965. He was a student of St. Edward’s School Shimla from 1977 till 1980 when he passed out from School with the 1980 ICSE Batch of students. Subsequently, he went to Bishop Cotton School Shimla to complete his class, XII. He always nurtured the dream of becoming a soldier right from a young age and following his passion, he got selected for the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and became part of the 68th Course. He excelled in various aspects of training in NDA and developed into a disciplined and hard-working individual. He passed out as the Best Cadet of the Course at NDA in 1985. Subsequently, he went to IMA Dehradun for further training as part of the 78th Regular Course. He passed out of the IMA as a 2nd lieutenant in 1986 at the age of 21 years. He had the distinction of being judged as the winner of the "Sword of Honour" at IMA Dehradun for doing exceptionally well in the training.
He was commissioned into 1 MLI battalion called the Jangi Paltan of the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment well known for its gallant soldiers and several battle honours. Later he underwent the Commando Course and Young Offcers' Course at Belgaum, where he graduated with the 'Best Young Officer' award, accompanied by the prestigious Commando Dagger. After joining the unit, he soon learnt the field craft skills and developed into a fine officer with commendable soldierly skills. Very early in his service career, 2nd Lt Sanjay Dogra got involved in active operations, when his unit got deployed as part of IPKF in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, 2nd Lt Sanjay Dogra was the youngest officer to be given a field promotion to the rank of Captain due to his capabilities and hard work.
Sri Lankan Operations (Op Pawan) : 13 Jan 1989
During Jan 1989, Capt Sanjay Dogra's unit 1 MLI was deployed in Sri Lanka as part of IPKF. Pursuant to the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, Indian forces were inducted into Sri Lanka in August 1987 to disarm various militant groups that were disrupting peace in the land. The dreaded LTTE—known for its guerrilla warfare—refused to disarm and attacked the IPKF, forcing the IPKF to launch several combat operations to quell the militants. The IPKF launched the operation, code-named “Op Pawan” with a mandate to neutralize the operational capability of the LTTE in and around Jaffna. The aim was to render the rebel movement directionless in the face of the impending assault on the LTTE strongholds by the IPKF. Initially, only 54 division of the Army was inducted but the escalation of the operations brought three more divisions 3, 4 and 57 into the conflict. By Jan 1989, Indian forces had undertaken numerous operations against LTTE but the war was far from over.
Based on the information from the intelligence sources, Capt Sanjay Dogra along with his team was tasked to carry out a search operation to find and neutralize the suspected LTTE militants on 13 Jan 1989. As planned, Capt Sanjay Dogra and his comrades reached the suspected area, but they came under a surprise attack by a group of heavily armed LTTE militants. Capt Sanjay Dogra in a swift action quickly redeployed his men tactically and counter-attacked. However, in the subsequent heavy exchange of fire, Capt Sanjay Dogra got seriously injured. He later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Capt Sanjay Dogra was a brave soldier and an officer par excellence, who laid down his life at the age of 23 years in the line of his duty.
Capt Sanjay Dogra is survived by his sister Smt Sushma Bhardwaj.
SM Bharadwaj
2021 at 3:29 pmSalutes to my coursemate. An excellent life lost in SriLanka. He was our course Sword of Honour. Om Shanti and Salutes Dear Doggy!
In my memory forever,
SM Bharadwaj
IC44043P
79 Reg
Girish Minocha
2024 at 4:27 pmhttps://hillpost.in/2017/07/the-forgotten-martyr/108965/
https://hillpost.in/2023/02/captain-sanjay-dogra-remembered/119399/
Honouring Captain Sanjay Dogra
As St. Edward’s celebrates a century of excellence, we pay tribute to our distinguished alums, Captain Sanjay Dogra exemplified courage, dedication, and honour throughout his remarkable life and military career.
Captain Sanjay Dogra, was a student of St. Edward’s School Shimla from 1977 till 1980, when he passed out from School with the 1980 ICSE Batch of students, subsequently went to BCS for Plus 2, and then joined NDA a distinguished cadet of the Indian Army, embodied the spirit of service and sacrifice from an early age. St. Edward’s was an integral part of his journey where he demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and a commitment to excellence. This attitude stayed with him even as he prepared for his career in the military where he continued to shine.
Captain Sanjay Dogra got admission to the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and graduated with the with the Best Cadet at NDA from the 68th Course, and Subsequently the Sword of Honor from IMA Dehradun in the 78th Regular Course. Subsequently, he was commissioned into the Indian Army, and decided to join the highly decorated 1st Maratha Light Infantry Brigade, also called the Jangi Paltan. He went on to shine in his illustrious but short career, and did the advanced Commando Course and YO’s Course at Belgaum, where he graduated with the Best Young Officer award, accompanied by the prestigious Commando Dagger.
Captain Sanjay Dogra was a young dashing, brave man full of promise and vigor. Captain Sanjay Dogra, wanted to be a soldier. He resonated with the motto of Martin Luther King, Jr. “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
The unit moved to Jaffna for Operation Pawan, and Second Lieutenant Sanjay moved with it. In Sri Lanka, Second Lieutenant Sanjay was the youngest soldier to be given a field commission promotion. due to his capabilities and hard work, and he picked up the rank of Captain.
On 13th January 1989, while serving his nation in Sri Lanka in OP Pawan, Captain Dogra made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, a testament to his unwavering bravery and devotion to the nation. His loss was deeply felt not only by his family and his comrades but also by the entire nation, as he embodied the values of selflessness and service to which all soldiers aspire.
Today, as we reflect on our School’s proud history, Captain Sanjay Dogra stands as a shining example of the school’s commitment to producing leaders of character and integrity. His legacy inspires future generations to uphold the principles of honor, duty, and sacrifice, ensuring that his memory continues to be honored and revered.
In recognition of his extraordinary life and his ultimate sacrifice, we salute Captain Sanjay Dogra, a true hero and a beacon of courage for us all.
Sameer Relia
2025 at 5:26 pmIt was one of those saddest day of my life when I had to break this sad news to Capt Sanjay Dogra parents on that fateful night.
My father who was also the part of op Pawan was posted in Jaffna and the first call was received by me on military number at Shimla about the ambush .