Service No : SS-50590A
Date of Birth : January 15, 1997
Place of birth : Darjeeling Dist (WB)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Captain
Unit : 10 RR
Arm/Regt : Army Air Defence
Operation : CI & IS Ops
Awards : Sena Medal
Martyrdom : July 15, 2024
Captain Brijesh Thapa hailed from Bagdogra in Siliguri tehsil of Darjeeling district in West Bengal and was born on 15 Jan 1997. Son of an army veteran Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa and Smt Nilima Thapa, he had a sister Nikhita as his sibling. Capt Brijesh Thapa came from a military family and was a third-generation officer as his grandfather and father too served in the Army. He was proud of his family lineage and always wanted to be in the Indian Army, right from childhood. He would often wear his father's Army uniform, who served with 11 Garhwal Rifles battalion and strut around proudly. He continued to follow his dream while pursuing his studies. After graduating from Mumbai with a degree in engineering, he eventually got selected to join the Army by clearing the Combined Defence Services Examination. He joined the prestigious Officers' Training Academy (OTA) Chennai and passed out in Sep 2019 at the age of 22 years.
He was commissioned into the 145 AD Regt of the Corps of Army Air Defence, an active corps of the Indian Army responsible for protecting Indian air space from enemy aircraft and missiles, especially below 5,000 feet. As the years rolled by, he transformed into a committed soldier and a fine officer. In his brief career, he earned the praise of his superiors for his bravery, initiative, and leadership qualities. After serving a couple of years with his parent unit, in September 2023 he was deputed to serve with the 10 Rashtriya Rifles battalion deployed in J & K for counter-insurgency.
Doda Encounter (J&K): 15 Jul 2024
During 2024, Capt Brijesh Thapa’s unit 10 RR was deployed in the Doda district of J & K and was engaged in anti-insurgency operations. 10 RR battalion was operating as part of the Counter Insurgency Force (CIF) (Delta Force) under the operational control of XVI Corps also known as 'White Knight Corps', one of the finest operational Corps of the Indian Army looking after the extent of Pir Panjal Ranges to the Shivalik Ranges and also the plains of Jammu and Akhnoor. The unit was operating in a militant-infested area and consequently, it had to undertake operations against the militants frequently. The area was also prone to infiltration, which necessitated regular armed patrols to check any infiltration from across the border. Based on the information from the intelligent sources, about the presence of a group of hard core terrorists in the unit's AOR (Area of Responsibility), the unit decided to launch a search and cordon operation along with Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police on 15 July 2024. Accordingly, a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched in the late evening of 15 July 2024 along with J&K Police in Dhari Gote Urarbagi in the Desa forest belt, a thickly forested and mountainous area about 55 kms from Doda town.
As planned the joint team reached the suspected area in Doda district of J&K and launched the cordon and search operation. Soon the troops led by Capt Brijesh Thapa made contact with the terrorists who opened fire at them on being challenged. Capt Brijesh Thapa tried to tighten the cordon to block the escape routes of the terrorists and attacked aggressively. However the terrorists attempted to escape by exploiting the restricted visibility and rain resulting in another exchange of fire at 9 pm. The ensuing gun battle, was fierce and fraught with risk as the terrorists were using automatic weapons and also taking advantage of the thick foliage of the forest. Undeterred by the risk involved, Capt Brijesh Thapa continued to lead his men to chase the terrorists and pin them down. However, in the heavy exchange of fire, Capt Brijesh Thapa and three of his soldiers got severely injured. They soon succumbed to their injuries and were thus "Killed in Action" in the operation. Besides Capt Brijesh Thapa, the other three brave hearts included Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh. Capt Brijesh Thapa was a valiant soldier and a fine officer who led from the front like a true military leader. He laid down his life at a very early age of 27 years in the service of the nation and will always be remembered for his exceptional courage and steadfast devotion to his duty. Captain Brijesh Thapa was posthumously awarded the prestigious "Sena Medal" on 26th January 2025 in recognition of his extraordinary gallantry, unwavering devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
Capt Brijesh Thapa is survived by his father Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa (Retd), mother Smt Nilima Thapa, and sister Ms Nikhita Thapa.
Siddharth Gazmer
2024 at 10:10 amA true Indian Gurkha warrior may your name be eternal…
Ram Mohan
2025 at 10:16 amCan only Say/ shall always say…….Jay Ho
archit pratap singh
2025 at 10:30 pmJai Hind!