'He was a daredevil': Families mourn bravehearts martyred in J&K encounter

Colonel Ashutosh Sharma (45), the commanding officer of 21 Rashtriya Rifles, was no stranger to bravery. He had been conferred with the Sena Medal for gallantry twice, the second time as the commanding officer for killing a terrorist in close combat at Handwara in 2018.

“He was a daredevil, who always led from the front. His parent unit was 19 Guards,” said a senior officer.His wife Pallavi Sharma, who he married 16 years ago, said, “Nothing could match his passion and love for his uniform and country. I am proud of what he did for his nation and his unit as well as the the safety of his soldiers and civilians. He used to lead every operation irrespective of the risks involved. He will now come home wrapped in a Tiranga.”

Major Anuj Sood (31) was also from 19 Guards and posted as a company commander in 21 RR. His wife Akriti Singh was at her parents’ house in Dharamsala when she got the news of him laying down his live. His father, Brigadier Chandrakant Soon (retd), said, “He has made the supreme sacrifice. It was part of his duty and what he was trained for. I feel sad for his wife as they just got married recently.”

Naik Rajesh Kumar (30), whose parent unit was 3 Guards, was a resident of district Mansa of Punjab. His next of kin is his mother Badami Devi.

L/Naik Dinesh Singh (25), whose parent unit was 17 Guards, was a resident of Almora in Uttakhand. His next of kin is his mother, Tulsi Devi.

Sub-Inspector Sageer Ahmad Pathan Qazi (41) from the J&K Police had volunteered to serve in the Special Operations Group, the elite counter-terrorist force in the state, in 2006. He had been conferred with several medals, including the Sheri-Kashmir Police Medal for Gallantry in 2009 and the Police Medal for Gallantry by President of India in 2011.