Service No: IC-70688P
Birth Place : Dharamsala(HP)
Service: Army
Last Rank: Major
Unit: 39 (I) ROF
Regiment : The Corps of Engineers
Awards : Shaurya Chakra
Date of Martyrdom : Oct 1 2014
Son of Smt Sunita and Shri Sunil Thapa, Major Abhijai Thapa belonged to Shyamnagar in Dharmsala district of Himachal Pradesh. Maj Abhijai Thapa was commissioned into the corps of Engineers in the Army, but later he got trained as a helicopter pilot and was transferred to the Army Aviation Corps. By the year 2014, Major Abhijai Thapa had gained an experience of more than 250 flying hours and evolved into a professionally competent pilot with expertise in various air operations.
Operation Iron Fist : 01 Oct 2014
During 2104, Maj Abhijai Thapa was serving with 39 (Independent) Recce and Observations Flight under the Army base in Bareilly. On 01 Oct 2014, Maj Abhijai Thapa was tasked for a recce mission near Indo-China border in Munsiyari, Pithoragarh along with his co-pilot Maj Vikas Varyani and engineering officer Capt Avinash Somavanshi. The crew took off in their Cheetah Helicopter and carried out the assigned task as per the operational plan.
However while returning from their mission Maj Abhijai Thapa experienced rotor failure and the snag developed into a serious emergency situation. The aircraft had logged approximately sixty minutes of flying time till then. Maj Abhijai realized that the aircraft was flying over thickly populated area of Bhartol village and the army base of 54 Engineer Regiment. He quickly assessed the situation and came to the conclusion that measures needed to be taken to minimize the casualties on the ground. Maj Abhijai having promptly identified the emergency, exhibited extreme courage and decided to maneuver the crippled aircraft away from the inhabited area.
In the limited time available, Maj Abhijai transmitted a distress call to the air traffic control tower and also cut off the fuel supply to the engine in order to minimize the collateral damage. Maj Abhijai then successfully diverted the aircraft despite the tremendous damage suffered in order to save the lives of over 11000 residents of Bhartol village and his other brethren in uniform from 54 Engineer Regiment. The aircraft then crashed away from the populated area and Major Abhijai and his crew members could not survive the crash and were martyred.
Maj Abhijai Thapa put the lives of his countrymen ahead of his own and sacrificed himself in the process. He was given the gallantry award “Shaurya Chakra” for his gallantry, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice.
Maj Abhijai Thapa is survived by his father Shri Sunil Thapa, mother Smt Sunita Thapa and wife Smt Anjali Thapa.
The citation for the Shaurya Chakra awarded to him reads:
Major Abhijai was nominated as Captain of the Aircraft for Operational readiness consolidation sortie for OPERATION IRON FIST for induction into Operational Area and Battle Inoculation of aviators on 01 October 2014. The aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure of tail rotor while flying over the heavily populated area of village Bhartol and unit lines of 54 Engineer Regiment where a Sainik Sammelan was in progress at Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh.
The aircraft had logged approximately sixty minutes of flying time till then. The aviator, having promptly identified the emergency, exhibited indomitable valor, extreme courage and utter disregard for personal safety by maneuvering the crippled aircraft away from the inhabited area and 54 Engineer Regiment. In the limited time available, the aviator transmitted a distress call to the air traffic control tower and also cut off the fuel supply to the engine in order to minimise the collateral damage. The aviator successfully diverted the aircraft despite the tremendous damage suffered in order to save the lives of his brethren in uniform and populace of village Bhartol. Major Abhijai put the lives of these men ahead of his own and sacrificed himself in the process.
The aviator diverted the aircraft away from the habitation displaying split second reactions despite knowing fully well that it would lead to loss of his own life.
A tribute by Smt Anjali Thapa, wife of Major Abhijai Thapa, as posted on Facebook:
One year passed today and I am sitting here in my room looking at your picture, wondering why you are not here with me, then I realized, you are no longer of this world. You inhabit a place of no return, all I have left with, is your memories which I cherish everyday. Our photos, our chats ur calls. I miss everything and then uncontrollable tears stream down my face, then I look up and ask god why he took you away from my life. I still needed you here, u left me in between the journey of our love, you were the one who makes everything so clear, you were my soulmate when you died a part of me died too.
I never knew how hard it was to loose someone you love. Even though I can’t see you, but I know you’re up there watching over me and listening to me everyday wen I talk to u I miss you more and more every day and all I can do is pray, so that ur soul rest in peace. Yes it is true I m a little bruised, broken and permanently scarred, but I m still here i m still fighting, I’m still waking up everyday to go through it all over again, this life may be hard as hell but I m a wife of a soldier and wiil fight like u my brave men, till my last breathe. You died for a cause I salute u and am proud that I was a part of a brave man. Honey physically u not here but in my heart u wiil live 4ever.
LOVE YOU THAPA
–Anjali
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Shashi
2017 at 7:59 amSalutes sir….
Jai Hind
Dr Amit Shekhar
2017 at 2:50 pmMay the Soul of this Brave Man Rest in Peace
Praveen Kumar
2017 at 12:40 pmWe shall forever remain indebted to you for your service to the nation Maj Abhijai Thapa .. Jai Hind..!
Akash Rai
2020 at 8:59 pmSalute major but always miss u bro
Ashok chetri
2017 at 5:36 pmJai Gorkha…jai hind.
Mamta Thapa
2017 at 7:00 pmRespect n salutes !!!!! Jai Hind.
Himani Malhotra
2018 at 4:04 pmA brave man keeps others lives before his. Maintaining others lives happiness sacrificed his own. May the Realest Hero rests in peace. Tremendous hats off to the Major and tons of salute to this courage and upbringing. He did bring proud to the respected Sant Nirankari Mission’s idea of Selfless service and became an honour for his parents and the country.
Lots of Respect
Harshal Borole
2022 at 11:13 amAn officer par excellence. A very upright and honest officer, a true patriot
Antriksh gupta
2023 at 7:50 amWhy machinary failure is too much in Indian forces
Aditya thapa
2024 at 12:32 amHe is even survived by his parents mr sunil and Mrs sunita thapa. Please mention that as well