Subedar Sanjay Kumar is a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military award, for his bravery and devotion to national duty at the frontline during the Kargil War in 1999. He was a member of the 13th JAK RIF Battalion.
Wiki/Biography
Sanjay Kumar was born on Wednesday, March 3, 1976 (current age 48, 2024) in Kaloor Bhakan, Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Pisces. Sanjay Kumar completed his schooling at Government Higher Secondary School, Bilaspur. He wanted to join the Indian Army and therefore started preparing for the entrance exam.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 6″
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Black
Family and caste
Parents and siblings
Sanjay Kumar’s father’s name is Durga Ram and his mother’s name is Bhag Devi. Sanjay Kumar is the youngest of six siblings. He has two elder brothers and three elder sisters. His elder brothers are Indian soldiers in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force.
Wife and children
Sanjay Kumar married Promila on April 17, 2000. They have a daughter and a son named Neeraj Kumar.
Subedar Sanjay Kumar and his wife Promila
Subedar Sanjay Kumar and his children
Profession
After completing grade 10, Sanjay Kumar had to drop out of school to find a job to support his family financially. Sanjay Kumar was determined to join the Indian Army as a rifleman in the 13th JAK RIF regiment, as his uncle was also a member of the regiment and died in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war. It is reported that when Sanjay first tried to join the Indian Army, he was rejected by the unit recruiting officer, after which he moved to Delhi to learn driving and returned to his hometown of Bilaspur, where he became a taxi driver. Later, he tried for the second time and was rejected again; however, in the third attempt, he was finally selected to join the Indian Army in 1996. Sanjay Kumar joined the 13th Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Battalion on July 4, 1999 as a rifleman.
Paramvir Chakra
During the 1999 Kargil War, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar volunteered to be the leader of the scouts tasked with attacking and capturing the flat top of Point 4875 in the Mushko Valley on July 4, 1999. As his squad moved to capture Point 4875, Pakistani soldiers started firing with automatic rifles and machine guns, preventing them from entering their (Pakistani Army) bunkers. Realizing the importance of the mission and the gravity of the situation, Sanjay Kumar rushed towards the Pakistani soldiers’ bunkers. He killed three soldiers in the duel and was seriously injured himself. Despite the injury, he rushed to the second bunker and attacked the soldiers hiding in it. The Pakistani soldiers left behind their UMG (Universal Machine Gun), which Sanjay used to kill the fleeing enemy. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar fought bravely with complete disregard for his own safety and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military medal, for his courage and loyalty to his country.
Subedar Sanjay Kumar receives Param Vir Chakra award
dispute
In 2010, Sanjay Kumar was demoted from Havildar to Lance Naik. The Indian Army refused to answer any questions about his demotion, but the Army continued to refer to him as Colonel in press releases. Later, the media reported the incident vigorously. In 2014, Sanjay Kumar was promoted to Naib Subedar, becoming a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Indian Army.
Facts/Trivia
- Only 21 soldiers have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra since 1950. Majors Sanjay Kumar, Bana Singh and Yogendra Singh Yadav are the only three living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra.
Subedar Sanjay Kumar (right) with Bana Singh (centre) and Yogendra Singh Yadav (left)
- On the 15th anniversary of the Kargil War, Sanjay Kumar was promoted to Joint Commissioned Officer (JCO) and posted to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, where he started training the newly minted officers and cadets.
- The diary of 13th JAK RIF on 4 July 1999 mentions the heroic act of Subedar Sanjay Kumar –
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, No. 13760533Y, volunteered to serve as the lead scout of the assault column tasked with capturing the Flat Top area on 4 July 1999. As the assault progressed, the enemy offered stiff resistance from automatic fire from one of the bunkers, hampering the assault column. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Rifleman Sanjay displayed an indomitable spirit, fortitude, determination and sheer courage by charging into the enemy bunker with total disregard for his own safety. In the hand-to-hand combat that ensued, he killed three of the intruders and, despite being wounded, charged into the second bunker. The enemy was completely taken by surprise and, leaving behind a Magnum machine gun, began to flee. Rifleman Sanjay picked up the weapons left behind by the enemy and killed the fleeing enemy. Despite bleeding profusely from his wounds, Rifleman Sanjay refused to evacuate and continued to encourage his comrades until he eventually evacuated. Rifleman Sanjay’s superhuman act inspired his comrades who, despite the treacherous terrain, rushed towards the enemy and cleared the enemy positions with a vengeance, thereby capturing the Pingdingshan area from the enemy.”
- On 15th August 2018, Republic TV aired a special show, Indian Heroes. The special show was aired on the news channel to celebrate India’s 72nd Independence Day. The show praised the officers who sacrificed for the country. In the show, Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar was invited to interact with Arnab Goswami and (retired) Major Gaurav Arya and spoke about his experience during the Kargil War.
- Subedar Sanjay Kumar and Major Yogendra Singh Yadav appeared in the Karam Veer episode of the show Kaun Banega Crorepati. The episode aired on January 22, 2021 and was the last episode of the 12th season of the show.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education