Service No : IC-72326M
Date of Birth : April 20, 1989
Place of birth : Udhampur Dist
Service : Army
Last Rank : Captain
Unit : 9 Para(SF)
Arm/Regt : The Parachute Regiment
Operation : CI & IS Ops
Awards : Shaurya Chakra
Martyrdom : February 21, 2016
Captain Tushar Mahajan SC
Captain Tushar Mahajan hailed from Udhampur in J&K and was born on 20 April 1989. Son of Shri Dev Raj Gupta and Smt Asha Gupta, he had an elder brother Nikhil as his sibling. He always nurtured the dream of becoming a soldier for taking on terrorists and eliminating them. Before getting selected for National Defence Academy training, he had completed his schooling from Little Flowers Convent School up to class VIII and later Happy Model Higher Secondary School up to Class 12 in Udhampur. He joined NDA Khadakwasla in June 2006 as part of 'Alpha' squadron of 116 Course. He excelled in various aspects of training in NDA and developed into a disciplined and hard working individual. He was a keen sportsman too and specially excelled in cross-country running and boxing. He also got appointed as 'Divisional Cadet Captain ' of his squadron, a coveted position to hold during NDA training. He passed out of NDA in June 2009 and thereafter went to IMA Dehradun for further training.
Capt Tushar Mahajan, according to close friends, had joined the Indian Army against the wishes of his parents. His father wanted him to become an engineer like his elder brother but he followed his passion and became an officer in the army. He got commissioned into the famed Parachute Regiment and joined the elite 9 Para(SF). 9 Para(SF) unit, raised in 1966 as 9th Parachute Commando Battalion (now known as 9 Para(SF)), specialized in 'Mountain Warfare' and 'Counter Insurgency/Counter Terrorism' operations. Capt Tushar was one of the two officers and ten other soldiers to join 9 Para(SF) in 2010 out of 100 probationers. Capt Tushar loved the adventurous life and took great pride in being a commando from the prestigious Special Forces unit, known for its daredevil operations.
In 2012-2013, he served in Ladakh and became part of many reconnaissance and surveillance operations. Many a times he assumed the role of a covert operative and gathered valuable information about terrorists activities, the terrain, the demography, needed to conduct various military operations. He also became a combat diver after successfully completing the three-month tough course at INS Venduruthy. As a diver and leader he thereafter undertook many underwater rescue operations in J&K region.
Pampore Operation (J&K) : 21 Feb 2016
During the year 2016, Captain Mahajan’s unit was deployed in J & K area and was undertaking counterinsurgency operations on a regular basis. On 20 Feb 2016, the militants attacked a convoy of CRPF in Pampore when they were returning from a search operation. A total of 11 CRPF Jawans got wounded in the attack and then the militants entered the nearby multistoried Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) at Pampore in Pulwama district, about 15 km south of Srinagar city. The police and security forces evacuated more than 100 people, including students and EDI employees, from the building before cordoning off the area. Initially CRPF and the nearby Rashtriya Rifles battalion took charge of the operation but as the situation demanded more combat resources, 10 Para(SF) was rushed in to deal with the threat. However after Captain Pawan Kumar of 10 Para(SF) was martyred in the exchange of fire, the operation was transferred to 9 Para(SF) along with other elements of the security forces.
9 Para(SF) decided to launch a well-coordinated commando operation to neutralize the hardcore militants. Capt Tushar Mahajan was tasked to lead, plan and execute the building intervention operation to eliminate the terrorists. EDI was a modern building sprawling over 10000 sq feet and having four floors with tens of offices, rooms and halls. Capt Tushar carried out a reconnaissance of the building and laid out an effective plan to execute the mission. His plan included placing snipers all around targeting the windows, so that the assault team could enter the building with minimum attrition. The plan was to enter the building from both sides after blasting the front doors, to confuse the terrorists. As planned, the two teams under the leadership of Capt Tushar entered the building using their combat skills and began securing it floor by floor and room by room. It was a very risky operation as the well-positioned terrorists in the stairwell could easily target the forces on the lower floors and quickly change their positions too. Undeterred, the first squad sanitized the first floor and signaled the others to move to the second floor.
Lance Naik Om Prakash was the leading scout of the second squad, which moved to the second floor. During the sanitization of the second floor, Lance Naik Om Prakash's squad drew heavy fire from the third floor. Realizing the immediate threat to his comrades, Lance Naik Om Prakash returned the fire at the cost of exposing himself to the terrorists. Consequently he too received a gunshot, injuring him seriously. Despite pain and blood loss, Lance Naik Om Prakash continued to engage with the terrorists and eliminated one terrorist, before being shot again. After having ensured the safety of his comrades, he painfully extricated himself to a safer place. Capt Tushar Mahajan's squad while approaching the third floor, came under attack from one of the rooms. Undeterred, Capt Tushar lobbed grenades and cleared the room. As the squad was advancing further, it was pinned down by fire from another room. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Capt Tushar advanced further while firing and lobbing grenades simultaneously. However while dong so, he was struck by a hail of fire in his legs. Despite being wounded and bleeding profusely, he returned fire wounding the terrorist. He was shot again in the process, injuring him severely.
Displaying remarkable courage and gallantry, Capt Tushar even in that injured state charged at the terrorist and eliminated him instantly before collapsing. He was evacuated for medical treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Lance Naik Om Prakash too was evacuated, but he also lost the battle for life in the hospital. Capt Tushar Mahajan displayed exceptional courage and fighting spirit during the operation and led from the front like a true military leader. His sacrifice paved the way for subsequent coordinated assault wherein all the militants were successfully neutralized. Capt Tushar Mahajan was given the gallantry award “Shaurya Chakra” for his bravery, unyielding fighting spirit, and supreme sacrifice.
Capt Tushar Mahajan is survived by his father Shri Dev Raj Gupta, mother Smt Asha Gupta, and brother Shri Nikhil Gupta.
61 Comments
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Jones Joseph
2023 at 12:40 pmWe salute you for your sacrifice!