Lt Ashok Kumar Saklani SC

Lieutenant Ashok Kumar hailed from Bulaki Wala village located in Vikasnagar tehsil of Dehradun district in Uttarakhand. Lt Ashok Kumar was passionate about joining the Indian Army since his younger days. Following his passion, he joined the prestigious National Defence Academy in July 1996 after completing his schooling as part of the 96th NDA course (Cheetah Squadron). He passed out of NDA in July 1999, and thereafter proceeded to IMA Dehradun for further military training. He was commissioned into the Indian Army on 13 May 2000,  into the 2 Dogra Battalion of the Dogra Regiment, an infantry regiment known for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours. 

Within a year of service, he had already earned the confidence of his superiors and the respect of his men, eventually becoming the leader of the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of his battalion — a critical role tasked with rapid deployment in high-risk counter-insurgency operations.

Counter-Insurgency operation (J&K): 11 Jul 2001

During 2001, Lt Ashok Kumar's unit was deployed in the Shopian district, Jammu and Kashmir, and was engaged in counterinsurgency operations. The sector was heavily militarized, and soldiers were stationed on mountaintop posts to guard the Line of Control and prevent the infiltration of militants. The unit troops, besides manning the forward posts in the Sector, were also engaged in counter-infiltration operations. The posts of the unit were located in high-altitude areas with inhospitable terrain and extreme weather conditions. In addition to manning the stationary posts, the unit launched regular armed patrols to monitor the area between the posts.

On 11 July 2001, around 1130 hours, Lt Ashok and his QRT were launched into an operation to track down terrorists reported to be hiding in the Darvesh Forest — a rugged and hostile terrain situated at an altitude of over 12,000 feet. As the team advanced through the dense and unforgiving forest, they were suddenly ambushed by a group of terrorists. In the initial burst of fire, Lt Ashok sustained serious injuries. Despite being wounded, the young officer showed exceptional courage and presence of mind. He crawled through the uneven terrain to a tactically advantageous position and engaged the enemy. Displaying remarkable marksmanship and determination, he successfully neutralized one terrorist at close range. However, the threat was far from over. The remaining terrorists maneuvered around and managed to fire upon Lt Ashok again, this time hitting him in the thigh — a wound that immobilized him. Though gravely injured and exposed to enemy fire, Lt Ashok’s concern was not for himself but for the safety of his men. Fully aware that any attempt to evacuate him could put his comrades at great risk, he urged them to continue the assault and eliminate the fleeing terrorists.

In a display of unmatched valour and grit, Lt Ashok continued to engage the enemy on his own. As one of the terrorists attempted to close in and finish him off, Lt Ashok lobbed a grenade, killing the second terrorist. His steadfast resolve and offensive action, even in a critical condition, directly led to the elimination of two terrorists, whose bodies were later recovered from the encounter site. The firefight lasted for nearly three hours. Once the remaining terrorists had been neutralized by the rest of the team, Lt Ashok was finally evacuated. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries en route to the base. Lt Ashok Kumar's actions exemplify the highest standards of gallantry and selflessness. Even in the face of grave injury and imminent death, he refused to be evacuated, placing the safety of his men and the success of the mission above his own life. Lt Ashok Kumar was given the nation’s third-highest gallantry award, “Shaurya Chakra”. 

The citation for "Shaurya  Chakra" awarded to him reads:

Lt Ashok Kumar commissioned on 13 May 2000, was the leader of the Battalion Quick Reaction Team (QRT). At 1130 hours on 11 Jul 2001, he was launched to track down terrorists hiding in the Darvesh Forest. While operating at heights over 12000 feet, his party was ambushed in which the officer was wounded. Despite his injuries, he crawled to an advantageous position' and killed one terrorist. Meanwhile remaining terrorists maneuvered and again shot the officer ~n the thigh, immobilizing him and continued to fire on him. Realizing the danger to his comrades in evacuating him, he urged them to pursue the remaining terrorists. Grievously wounded, he continued to fire and lobbed a grenade on one more terrorists trying to close in to kill him, thus accounting for two terrorists, whose bodies were subsequently recovered. Three hours later when the terrorists were eliminated by his team, Lt Ashok was evacuated, but succumbed to injuries en route to base.

Lt Ashok though seriously injured, refused evacuation to prevent further casualties to his men and accomplished the task of eliminating the terrorists, thus displaying supreme sacrifice in the best the most conspicuous gallantry and made
traditions of the Indian Army.