Rifleman Samar Bahadur Singh

Rifleman Samar Bahadur Singh hailed from Choond village of Satna district in Madhya Pradesh and was born in a Rajput family (Somvanshi Kshtriya) on 11 July 1969. Son of Shri Vijay Bahadur Singh and Smt Chhohgi Devi, he had three brothers and seven sisters as his siblings. Right from his younger days, he always wished to follow his elder brother Malkhan Singh (who later retired as Naik from the Army) and don the Army uniform. Following his dream, he eventually joined the army after completing his school education on 03 March 1988 at the age of 19 years.

He was recruited into 5 Raj Rif Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment, an infantry Regiment known for its brave soldiers and numerous battle honours. After serving for a few years, he got married to Ms.Geeta Singh (Baghel Rajput Family) and the couple was blessed with two sons, Rahul Singh and Akhilesh Singh. By 1994, Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh had put in around six years of service and had evolved into a dedicated and disciplined soldier. 

Operation Rakshak : 29 Aug 1994

During 1994, Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh’s unit was deployed in the Baramulla district of J&K. The unit troops were manning the forward posts in the Baramulla district along the LOC. Besides manning the posts, the unit soldiers had to undertake armed patrols regularly to monitor the area under its AOR ( Area of Responsibility). The posts were located in high-altitude areas with inhospitable weather conditions and rugged terrain. Many posts, as well as the patrol routes of the unit, were prone to snow blizzards, avalanches, and unpredictable landslides, especially during winter seasons. Besides the unprovoked firing from the enemy, the soldiers often faced hostile weather conditions. On 29th Aug 1994, Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh was manning a forward part along the LOC in Uri sector of Baramulla district.

On 29th Aug 1994, alert sentries of the 5 Raj Rif post detected suspicious persons approaching their post taking advantage of the inclement weather and dense foliage. As the situation took threatening proportions, Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh and some more troops of the unit joined the operation.  A fierce gun battle ensued thereafter as the troops cordoned off the area and engaged the terrorists thereby pinning them down. The gun battle continued for several hours with a heavy exchange of fire from both sides. Eventually, Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh and his comrades managed to eliminate the terrorists who had planned to outflank the 5 Raj Rif post to infiltrate. However, during the exchange of fire, Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh got severely injured and was shifted to the medical facility of the Army. But he soon succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh was a fearless and committed soldier, who laid down his life at the age of 25 years in the line of his duty.

Rfn Samar Bahadur Singh is survived by his wife Smt Geeta Singh, and sons Rahul Singh (who is also serving in army) and Akhilesh Singh.