Service No : 14949810Y
Place of birth : Hoshiarpur (Punjab)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Lance Naik
Unit : 16 RR
Arm/Regt : The Mechanised Infantry
Operation : CI & IS Ops
Awards : Mentioned-in-Despatches
Martyrdom : July 8, 2023
Lance Naik Telu Ram
Lance Naik Telu Ram hailed from Khuralgarh village of Garhshankar tehsil in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. Like many young lads of his village, he too was fascinated with army life and nursed a dream of joining the army since his childhood. Consequently following his dream, he joined the army after completing his school education. He was recruited into to the Mechanized Infantry, an infantry Regiment well known for its gallant soldiers and various battle honours. After serving for some time with his parent unit, he was deputed to serve with the 16 RR battalion deployed in J&K for counter-insurgency operations. By 2023, he had been promoted to the rank of Lance Naik, after having served in various operational areas with challenging work environments.
'Area Domination Patrol (Poonch: J&K): 08 Jul 2023
During 2023, Lance Naik Telu Ram‘s unit 16 RR battalion was deployed in the Poonch sector of J & K along the LOC. The LOC was highly active and volatile wherein cease-fire violations occurred very often and without any warning. The unit troops were engaged in operations against the terrorists on a regular basis as the unit's area of responsibility (AOR) was active with militancy. The volatility of its AOR demanded 'high alert' at all times on the part of the troops. The area was also prone to infiltration, which necessitated regular armed patrols to check any infiltration from across the border. On 08 Jul 2023, Lance Naik Telu Ram was tasked to be part of one such ‘Area Domination Patrol’ in Surankote area falling in the AOR of the unit. Lance Naik Telu Ram and his comrades led by Nb Sub Kuldeep Singh set off for the patrol along the planned route on 08 July 2023. The route passed through difficult terrain, dotted by sides with deep gorges and crevices. The soldiers had to exercise extreme caution while treading on the availble tracks on the route.
To make the matters worse, it had been raining in J&K for the last few days and the region was at a high risk of flooding and flash floods. Due to heavy rains, the water level in Jhelum and its tributaries had increased and flood situation had arisen in many places. But that did not deter Lance Naik Telu Ram and his comrades, who continued to move to complete the given task. However as they were crossing the Dogra Nullah in the Surankote area of Poonch district, the soldiers got entrapped in the flash floods. Lance Naik Telu Ram and his patrol leader Nb Sub Kuldeep did not get adequate time to take any evasive action and got swept away in the swollen stream of Poshana River. A rescue operation comprising the elements of the Army, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was launched to trace the soldiers, who were swept away by the strong current. However, Lance Naik Telu Ram and Nb Sub Kuldeep Singh could not be saved and were martyred. The body of Lance Naik Telu Ram was recovered in the night of 09 July and that of Nb Sub Kuldeep Singh was recovered on 08 July 2023. Lance Naik Telu Ram was a dedicated and valiant soldier who laid down his life at the very young age of 25 years in the line of his duty. Lance Naik Telu Ram was awarded "Mentioned-in-Despatches" on 26 Jan 2024 for his commendable courage, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice.
Lance Naik Telu Ram is survived by his mother Smt Kamlesh Kumari and brother Shri Karan.
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