Service No : IC-33317P
Date of Birth : May 9, 1949
Place of birth : Gurdaspur Dist(Pun)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Colonel
Unit : 2 Assam
Arm/Regt : The Assam Regiment
Operation : CI & IS Ops
Martyrdom : September 23, 1995
Col KL Gupta hailed from Bamiyal village in Pathankot tehsil of Gurdaspur district in Punjab and was born on 09 May 1949. Son of Shri Shivraj Gupta and Smt Koushalya Devi, he had a brother Surinder Gupta as his sibling. He completed his graduation in science from Guru Gobind Singh College Chandigarh and went on to complete his law degree from Law College Chandigarh. As he was inclined to serve in the Army since his younger days, he continued to nurse that idea while studying in college. Eventually, he got selected to join the Army after passing the Combined Defence Services Examination. He passed out of IMA Dehradun as a 2nd Lieutenant in the year 1972 after rigorous training at the age of 23 years.
He was commissioned, into 2 Assam battalion of the Assam Regiment, an infantry Regiment well known for its dauntless soldiers and numerous battle exploits. Raised on 15 June 1941 in Shillong, the Assam Regiment was awarded the 'Battle Honours' for its tenacious defence at Chamb in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. After completing his training, he served in various operational areas in diverse terrain and working environment. By the year 1995, he had put in about 23 years of service and had been promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Akhnoor Sector Operation (J&K): 23 Sep 1995
During 1995, Col KL Gupta was functioning as 'Commanding Officer' of 2 Assam battalion deployed in the Akhnoor sector of J & K. As the AOR (Area of Responsibility) of the battalion was near the LOC, the troops were involved in counter-insurgency as well as counter-infiltration operations on a regular basis. The troops had to be on high alert at all times as they were vulnerable to surprise attacks by the militants active in their area of responsibility. The landmines along the patrol routes also posed a serious danger to the troops and many times the Bomb Disposal Squad of the unit had to be called in for sanitizing the routes. On 23 Sep 1995, Col KL Gupta was leading an operational mission and was moving to a forward post in a terrorist-infested area in the Akhnoor sector.
As Col KL Gupta and his comrades were traversing through the challenging terrain in Pallan Wala village, located in Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu district, they were struck by a mine blast. The troops were unaware about the mines laid by the militants and walked into the trap. The blast had a devastating effect, injuring Col KL Gupta and a few other soldiers. As Col KL Gupta was leading the troops, he faced the brunt of the blast and absorbed most of the splinters, thereby screening his comrades behind him. However, Col KL Gupta soon succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Col KL Gupta was a committed soldier and a fine officer, who led from the front and laid down his life in the service of the nation.
Col KL Gupta is survived by his brother Shri Surinder Gupta.
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