Mohit Sharma (soldier)
Mohit Sharma | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 January 1978 |
| Died | 21 March 2009 (aged 31) Haphruda Forest, Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Allegiance | India |
| Branch | Indian Army |
| Service years | 1999–2009 |
| Rank | Major |
| Service number | IC-59066N |
| Unit | 1Para (Special Forces) 5 Madras |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | National Defence Academy Indian Military Academy |
Major Mohit Sharma AC SM (13 January 1978 – 21 March 2009) was an Indian Army Officer who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peace-time military decoration. Sharma was from the elite 1st Para SF.
On 21 March 2009, he engaged in an encounter with militants in the Hafruda forest of the Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir. He killed four militants and rescued two teammates in the process, but got shot multiple times. For this act, he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, which is the highest peace time military decoration in India. He was awarded two gallantry decorations earlier in his career. The first was the COAS Commendation card for exemplary counter-militancy duties during Operation Rakshak, which was followed by a Sena Medal for gallantry after a covert operation in 2005.
In 2019, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation renamed the Rajendra Nagar metro station in Ghaziabad as Major Mohit Sharma Rajendra Nagar metro station.