Subedar US Shekhawat VrC

Subedar Ujeen Singh Shekhawat hailed from Arjunpura village in Sikar district of Rajasthan. Son of Shri Trilok Singh Shekhawat and Smt Mohan Kanwar Rathore, he was born on 3rd Sep 1958.  After completing his initial schooling, he joined the Army on 26 Feb 1976 at the age of 18 years. He was inducted into 19 Grenadiers of the Grenadiers Regiment, an infantry Regiment known for its valiant soldiers and various battle honours. By the year 2000, Subedar Ujeen Singh Shekhawat had put in around 24 years of service and had been promoted to the rank of Subedar. By then he had developed into a dedicated soldier and responsible Junior Commissioned Officer, who commanded respect of his men and officers. 

Pallanwala sector Operation (Op Rakshak) : 22 Jan 2000

During Jan 2000, Sub US Shekhawat's unit was deployed in the Pallanwala sector in Akhnoor (Jammu) as part of "Operation Rakshak".  As the AOR (Area of Responsibility) of the battalion was near the LOC, the troops were involved in counter-insurgency as well as counter-infiltration operations on a regular basis. The troops were also vulnerable to surprise attacks by the militants active in their area of responsibility.  Based on the information from the intelligence sources, the unit decided to launch a raid on an enemy post in Pallanwala Sector in Jammu & Kashmir on 22 Jan 2000.  As planned the operation was launched on 22 Jan under the leadership of Major Gopal Singh Chundawat. Sub US Shekhawat as a senior JCO was made part of the team that was assigned the task. Sub US Shekhawat and his comrades reached the suspected area in the Pallanwala (Chhamb) sector of Jammu and launched the operation.

As commander of the task force, Major Gopal Singh Chundawat along with his JCO Sub US Shekhawat planned, prepared and rehearsed the mission diligently. In an effort to achieve an element of surprise, Sub US Shekhawat and his comrades tackled the enemy post from the front and completely surprised the enemy. Coordinating the entire operation amidst heavy enemy fire, Maj Chundawat identified key enemy bunkers and directed his soldiers to attack them. Sub US Shekawat was commanding a platoon during the special operation and led his soldiers with commendable bravery. Displaying rare courage, he single-handedly killed two enemy soldiers. However in the heavy exchange of fire, Sub Shekawat was shot in the chest.  Undeterred, despite being wounded grievously, he shouted to his men and relentlessly pursued the mission. He then eliminated three more enemy soldiers before finally succumbing to his wounds. His act of gallantry inspired his comrades to achieve outstanding success in the special operation. Sub Ujeen Singh Shekhawat was a gallant soldier and committed Junior Commissioned Officer, who laid down his life in the service of the nation. He was given the gallantry award, “Vir Chakra” for his outstanding grit, determination, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice. 

Sub Ujeen Singh Shekhawat is survived by his wife Smt Uchhab Kanwar Rathore.

Citation of the "Vir Chakra" awarded to him reads: 

On 22 January 2000, Subedar Ujeen Singh Shekawat was commanding a platoon during a special operation in the Pallanwala (Chamb) sector of Jammu & Kashmir. During this operation, he displayed rare courage and single-handedly killed two enemy soldiers. A fierce firefight took place and Subedar Shekawat was shot in the chest. Despite grievous wounds, he shouted to his men and relentlessly pursued the mission. He killed three more enemy soldiers before finally succumbing to his wounds. His acts of gallantry encouraged his men to achieve outstanding success in the special operation. Unmindful of personal danger, Subedar Ujeen Singh Shekawat displayed rare courage and valour of an exceptional order in fighting the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice.