Capt Sanjeev Dahiya

Captain Sanjeev Dahiya hailed from Haryana and was born on 10 Oct 1974 in a military family. Son of an Army officer, Lt Col RS Dahiya, he nursed the idea of joining the Armed Forces since his childhood. He continued to pursue his dream and eventually succeeded in following his father’s footsteps after completing his graduation. He got selected for the prestigious OTA at Chennai and was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 05 Sep 1998. He was commissioned into the Army Service Corps, the corps which handles the logistic support function of Indian Army. As his first assignment, Capt Sanjeev Dahiya was sent on attachment to 5 Rajput battalion, which he joined on 26 Sep 1998.

Op Vijay: 17 Jul 1999

During July 1999, Capt Sanjeev Dahiya’s unit was deployed in Akhnoor sector of J & K. On the night of 16/17 Jul 1999, during one of the heaviest rainfalls of the season, a patrol consisting of one officer and seven soldiers of 5th Battalion of the Rajput Regiment was detailed to patrol the area between NS Pura and Malabela Post along the International Border. The assigned task was to check the enemy infiltration from this area falling under the command of 191 Infantry Brigade/10 Infantry Division. The patrol was subsequently divided into two subsidiary patrols. One subsidiary patrol, led by Capt Sanjeev Dahiya with three other soldiers was to patrol the area while the second subsidiary patrol of one Non-Commissioned Officer and three other soldiers was detailed to lay an ambush in the grove area near Pargwal canal head-works.

At about 0200 hours on 17 Jul 99, while the subsidiary patrol led by Capt Sanjeev Dahiya was moving near Malabela Bunker suddenly it came under a heavy volume of fire from the sides and behind. Capt Sanjeev Dahiya and his comrades immediately swung into action and took positions to retaliate in a befitting manner. In the ensuing gun battle Capt Sanjeev Dahiya and three of his soldiers, Hav Jai Narayan Tripathi, Naik Datta Ram Gautam and Naik Keshav Singh sustained serious multiple bullet injuries. However Capt Sanjeev Dahiya, Hav Jai Narayan Tripathi and Naik Datta Ram Gautam succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. Capt Sanjeev Dahiya, who was also the Ghatak Platoon Commander, was a very motivated and inspiring second generation Officer. He had imbibed exemplary leadership qualities in the short span of his service career and always led his men from the front. Capt Sanjeev Dahiya laid down his life at the age of 24 years in the service of the nation, following the highest traditions of the Indian Army.