Sepoy Gouri Shanker Sah KC

Sepoy Gouri Shanker Sah hailed from Bihar and had an inclination to join the Indian Army right from his childhood. Eventually, he joined the Indian Army after his initial education and was recruited into the 8 Bihar Battalion of the Bihar Regiment, an infantry Regiment well known for its dauntless soldiers and numerous battle exploits.

Sopore Operation (J&K): 03 May 1992

During May 1992, Sep Gouri Shanker Sah’s unit 8 Bihar was deployed in J&K for counterinsurgency operations. As the area of responsibility (AOR) of the unit fell in the region infested with militants, the unit had to undertake counter-insurgency operations on a regular basis. On 3rd May 1992, the security forces received information from intelligence sources about the presence of militants in a village of Sopore Tehsil of Baramulla district in J & K. It was decided to launch a search and destroy operation to nab the hardcore militants and the task was assigned to the 8 Bihar battalion. Sep Gouri Shanker Sah was part of the team that was assigned the task. Sep Gouri Shanker and his team swung into action and launched the operation in the morning hours of 03 May 2023. The militants were hiding in a residential building in the suspected area, which was cordoned off in a well-planned move. 

On being challenged the militants opened fire at the troops and a fierce gun battle ensued. The assault team of Sep Gouri Shanker Sah decided to storm the suspected building. The militants had anticipated this action and had positioned themselves at vantage points inside the building. They were heavily armed and were sizable in numbers. When Sep Gouri Shanker Sah and his comrades stormed the building and moved forward to open the door, they were attacked from various directions, with militants using automatic weapons and hand grenades. Sep Gauri Shankar using his light machine gun, effectively provided covering fire to secure the basement. Ignoring the intense gunfire from terrorists, he led the assault up the stairs. When the terrorists threw a hand grenade, he quickly picked it up and threw it back at them. As he bent to do so, he was hit several times by the militant's fire. Even after being critically wounded in the fierce exchange of fire, he continued to engage the terrorists until he lost consciousness. His gallant act enabled the rest of the assault party to get a foothold on the first floor of the house and subsequently flush out the militants. He was evacuated to a nearby medical aid post, but he succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Sep Gouri Shanker Sah was a valiant soldier, who laid down his life following the highest traditions of the Indian Army. Sep Gouri Shanker Sah was given the nation’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, “Kirti Chakra”  on 26 Jan 1993 for his cold courage, unyielding fighting spirit, and supreme sacrifice. 

The citation for the ‘Kirti Chakra’ awarded to him reads :

8 Bihar Regiment was given the task of flushing out a group of fully armed militants, firmly established in a two-storeyed house of village Gurslr of District Sopore, Jammu & Kashmir. At 1300 hours on 3rd May 1992. Sepoy Gouri Shanker Sah was selected to lead the assault on the ground floor of the house. Firing his Light Machine Gun from the hip, Sepoy Shanker Sah sprinted across the line of fire and made it possible for the assault team to cover all the rooms on the ground floor. In utter disregard of the deadly hail of fire from the head of the staircase above Sepoy Sah firing his Light Machine Gun from the hip led the charge up the stairs.

When the militants lobbed a grenade at the assaulting party, Sepoy Sah grabbed the grenade as it fell and threw it right back at the militants. As he bent to do so, he was hit several times by the militant's fire. Although wounded and bleeding profusely, Sepoy Sah kept on firing at the retreating militants till he became unconscious. His gallant act enabled the rest of the assault party to get a foothold on the first floor of the house and subsequently to flush out the militants. Sepoy Sah was evacuated to the nearest 'Medical Aid Post' where he breathed his last. Sepoy Gouri Shanker Sah, thus, displayed conspicuous gallantry and courage of an exceptional order.