Braveheart Manoj Pandey remembered

Lucknow: City's army officers and jawans remembered martyr Captain Manoj Pandey on his 17th death anniversary on Sunday. Pandey gave up his life while fighting at enemy lines on July 3, 1999 during the

Kargil

war.

A programme was organised in his memory at Captain

Manoj Pandey Chowk

, near Race Course in Lucknow Cantonment. Brigadier Pankaj Singh, Commandant of 11 Gorkha Regimental Centre, laid a wreath in the presence of the late army officer's parents.

Later in the evening, another programme was organised by UP

Sainik School

, which was Pandey's alma mater. The programme was also attended by Governor Ram Naik, district magistrate Raj Shekhar, Lt Gen AK Mishra AVSM (Retd), Lt Gen RP Shahi AVSM( Retd) and Pandey's parents. In his address, Naik said, "The ultimate sacrifice of Captain Manoj Pandey can be a great morale booster for the generations to come, as he is the perfect role model who continues to motivate us even after his death."

Two students of the school, Supram Maurya and Bhudhil Raj Patel, were honoured by the governor UP Sainik School for, their excellent academic performance at the event.

Captain Manoj Pandey, a native of Rudha village in UP's

Sitapur

district, was commissioned into 1/11 Gorkha Rifles in 1997, after passing out form National Defence Academy. Pandey was shot at the battle front during Operation Vijay and was instrumental in the capture of

Khalubar Hills

. He was posthumously awarded

Param Vir Chakra

for his supreme sacrifice.