Captain Sajjan Singh Malik KC

Capt Sajjan Singh Malik hailed from Kirtan village in Rajgarh tehsil of Churu district in Rajasthan and was born on 25 Nov 1979. He was born into a family with a strong military tradition and grew up deeply influenced by his father's discipline and dedication, who served in the Jat Regiment of the Indian Army. From an early age, this exposure to the values of duty, courage, and patriotism shaped his character and inspired him to pursue a career in the armed forces. To begin his journey toward military service, he was enrolled at the prestigious Rashtriya Military School, Belgaum. The institution is well known for grooming young boys into future leaders of the armed forces through a balanced combination of academics, discipline, and military-oriented training. The structured and demanding environment of the school instilled in him important soldierly qualities such as leadership, resilience, physical endurance, and a strong sense of responsibility. His formative years at the military school laid a strong foundation for his future career in the Army. Motivated by his ambition to serve the nation, he went on to join the National Defence Academy, India’s premier tri-services training institution. At the academy, he underwent rigorous academic, physical, and military training alongside cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The demanding training environment further sharpened his leadership abilities, mental toughness, and commitment to the profession of arms. After successfully completing his training at the NDA, he proceeded to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, where he received advanced military training before being commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army.

In 2001, after passing out from the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army, one of the elite infantry regiments known for its airborne and special operations capabilities. Subsequently, on account of his professional competence and rigorous selection, he was inducted into the Special Forces, serving with the distinguished 10 Para (Special Forces), one of the Indian Army’s premier units tasked with conducting specialized and high-risk operations. Raised on 1 June 1967, 10 Para (SF) is popularly known as the “Desert Scorpions,” a title that reflects both their operational specialization and their lethal effectiveness in hostile environments. The officers and soldiers of 10 Para (SF) undergo some of the most demanding and rigorous training in the Indian Army. They are specially trained for desert warfare, unconventional operations, and deep penetration missions behind enemy lines. Members of the unit are often described as “men of steel” because of their extraordinary physical endurance, mental resilience, and unwavering determination. Their training prepares them to operate in extreme and hostile conditions while executing complex and high-risk missions with precision and stealth. By joining this prestigious battalion, Capt Sajjan Singh Malik became part of a unit renowned for its fearless soldiers and numerous daring operations. 

Baramulla Operation: 07/08 July 2004

In 2004, Capt Sajjan Singh Malik’s unit, 10 Para (Special Forces) of the Parachute Regiment (India), was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. During this period, the security forces received intelligence inputs about the presence of heavily armed and hardened terrorists operating in the Bandipora area of the Kashmir Valley. The information indicated that the militants were moving through villages in the region and using local terrain and habitation to evade security forces. Capt Sajjan Singh Malik was assigned the challenging task of tracking the movement of these terrorists and neutralizing the threat. Demonstrating patience, determination, and exceptional fieldcraft, he and his team began closely monitoring the suspected movement patterns of the militants. For more than a month, Capt Malik meticulously followed leads and gathered intelligence to determine their exact location and routine. After carefully studying their movements, he finally decided to lay an ambush in Gundpura village in the Bandipora region on the night of 7 July 2004. Leading from the front, Capt Malik launched the well-planned operation with his troops under the cover of darkness. His team quietly moved into position and cordoned off the suspected area to prevent the terrorists from escaping.

In the early hours of the following morning, as the terrorists attempted to leave the village, Capt Malik’s assault team launched a sudden and decisive attack, catching them by surprise. The terrorists quickly retaliated, and a fierce gun battle broke out in the narrow lanes of the village. Displaying remarkable courage and leadership, Capt Malik personally led the pursuit, chasing the militants through the confined by-lanes during the intense firefight. In the course of the encounter, he successfully eliminated two terrorists. However, during the exchange of fire, he sustained three bullet injuries. Despite being seriously wounded, Capt Malik refused to withdraw. Instead, he continued to motivate and direct his troops, ensuring that the remaining terrorist was surrounded and prevented from escaping. Showing extraordinary determination and disregard for his own safety, Capt Malik pressed forward and closed in on the third terrorist. In a final act of bravery, he engaged and killed the militant at close quarters. Although the mission was successfully accomplished, Capt Sajjan Singh Malik later succumbed to his injuries and made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Capt Malik was remembered as a dedicated soldier and an exemplary officer who displayed exceptional courage, leadership, and devotion to duty. In recognition of his outstanding bravery, indomitable fighting spirit, and supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation, he was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award.

The citation for the 'Kirti Chakra' awarded to him reads:-

Captain Sajjan Singh Malik, after skillfully tracking the movement of a group of terrorists for a month, laid a trap in Gundpura village in Baramulla district on the night of July 7. As the terrorists were leaving the village in the early hours of the next day, he sprang the ambush. In the firefight, he personally killed two terrorists in the narrow by-lanes of the village, but in the process received three bullet injuries. Ignoring his injuries, he motivated his troops to surround and prevent the third terrorist from escaping. Lobbing grenades and with tremendous effort, he closed in on the third terrorist, killing him at close quarters.

He, however, succumbed to his injuries, sacrificing his life in the best traditions of the Indian Army.