Neeraj Sood (officer)
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Neeraj Sood | |
|---|---|
| Native name | नीरज सूद |
| Born | 22 November 1970 |
| Died | 22 June 2010 (aged 39) |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Branch |  Indian Army |
| Service years | 1992 — 2010 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Service number | IC-51655 |
| Unit | .svg){kind=small} 8 Rajputana Rifles |
| Commands | 8 Rajputana Rifles 18 Rashtriya Rifles |
| Awards |  Shaurya Chakra |
| Alma mater | Indian Military Academy National Defence Academy |
Neeraj Sood (22 November 1970 – 22 June 2010) was an colonel in the Indian Army, who was killed while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. For this, he was posthumously awarded Shaurya Chakra.[1][2][3] He was the highest-ranking officer to be killed in Kashmir in 2010.[4][5]
Neeraj was born on 22 November 1970 in Delhi. He belonged to a military family, as his father had served in the Indian army. He was a sportsman during college. After completing education, Neeraj joined the Indian Military Academy.[6][7][8]
Military career
Neeraj was commissioned in the 8 Rajputana Rifles as second lieutenant in 1992. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy.[9][10]
Throughout his career, he served as an Instructor at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, situated at Variengte. He served almost 8 years at Jammu and Kashmir. He later took the command of 18 Rashtriya Rifles. The unit was deployed near LoC at Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir.[11]
22 June 2010, Neeraj had received intelligence information about militants entering Area of Control. He had led his troops to stop the infiltration of militants in the AoR. The Indian forces fired at the militants and an exchange of fire occurred at Kupwara. During the exchange of fire, Neeraj was reportedly shot. He couldn't restrain the injuries and died at Lolab valley. During this, a captain was also injured.[12][5][13] According to the police, he was shifted to a military hospital for further treatment before dying.[14]