Sepoy Pradeep Patel

Sep Pradeep Patel hailed from Hardua Kalan village in Vijayraghavgarh tehsil of Katni district in Madhya Pradesh and was born in 2000. Son of Shri Baisakhu Patel and Smt Sakhi Patel, Sep Pradeep Patel had an elder sister Guddie, and a younger sister Urmila as his siblings. He was very passionate about the Armed Forces since his younger days and eventually, got selected and joined the Indian army in the year 2020 at the age of 20 years. He was recruited into the corps of EME, the arm having varying responsibilities related to the design, development, trial, inspection, and refit of weapon systems and equipment of the Indian Army. Sep Pradeep Patel was to get married in 2025, but destiny had something else in store for him. 

Operational Mission (Sikkim): 05 Sep 2024

During Sep 2024, Sep Pradeep Patel's unit EME battalion, was deployed in Binagudi in West Bengal. The unit provided its expertise in the repair and maintenance of various equipment and weapons systems to several units under its controlling Command HQs. The unit personnel often had to move to different locations to undertake such tasks to maintain the operational worthiness of the Army units in its AOR( Area of Responsibility). The AOR of the unit spanned over remote rugged mountainous terrain with extreme weather conditions, especially in the winter season. The mountainous roads in the AOR of the unit were narrow and had steep gradients posing serious challenges to the quick movement of troops. On 5th Sept 2024, Sep Pradeep Patel was assigned an operational task along with a team of soldiers which necessitated a move to a location in Sikkim by road. As planned Sep Pradeep Patel along with his comrades led by Sub K Thangapandi set off from Pedong, a small town in the Kalimpong district on the morning of 05 Sep 2024. Their destination was Zuluk, a picturesque village along the Silk Route in Sikkim. 

As the vehicle carrying 3 soldiers and being driven by Sep Pradeep Patel was on its way, the weather took a turn for the worse. A sudden downpour made the roads slick and treacherous. Sep Pradeep Patel fought to maintain control of the vehicle, but the relentless rain and the steep incline proved too much. With a sickening lurch, the vehicle veered off the road and plummeted down a sheer cliff. It fell approximately 700 to 800 feet down the gorge near Dalopchand Dara along the Rhenock Rongli state route, also known as the ''Silk Route.  As the vehicle fell into a deep gorge, it got mangled beyond recognition due to the severe impact. As a result, all four soldiers got severely injured. The Army quickly launched the rescue operation and the injured soldiers were transferred to a field hospital. However, they soon succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. Besides Sep Pradeep Patel, the other three martyred soldiers included Sub K Thangapandi, Naik Gursev Singh and Craftsman W Peter. Sep Pradeep Patel was a committed soldier who laid down his life at the age of 24 years in the line of his duty.

Sep Pradeep Patel is survived by his father Shri Baisakhu Patel, mother Smt Sakhi Patel, elder sister Smt Guddie and younger sister Ms Urmila Patel.