Kuldeep Singh Chahar

Kuldeep Singh Chahar Deputy Commandant CRPF was awarded with Shaurya Chakra for his act of bravery fighting with militants in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on 26 August 2017. He is from Goth Buhana village, Chirawa tahsil of Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan.

Terrorist attack at Pulwama

On 26th August 2017, at around 0400 Hrs, three terrorists sneaked into the District Police Line (DPL), Pulwama, J&K with an intention to inflict maximum casualties. On account of a VIP movement, some troops were in readiness to depart for duty. The unexpected alertness of security forces in the wee hours took the terrorists by surprise and in panic, they opened indiscriminate fire. Sensing that it was fidayeen attack, troops became alert, positioned themselves and started retaliatory fire.

DPL Pulwama camp has eight family blocks numbering A to F with twelve flat in each block, which accommodates families of officers and other ranks of Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP). The intention of the terrorist was to enter the barracks housing and cause maximum casualties. However, they were intercepted by the daring CRPF troops who responded valiantly disorienting them from their target and forced them to rush for cover. Then the terrorists rushed in the direction of the family quarters located opposite of the barracks. In the initial exchange of fire, three CRPF troop sustained bullet injures while retaliating against terrorists firing. Meanwhile Shri Narendra Pal Singh, Comdt 182 Bn CRPF reached the spot with reinforcement and augmented the forces engaged in countering the fidayeen attack. Amidst the heavy exchange of fire, the injured were evacuated by the CRPF troops led by Shri Narendra Pal Singh.

Now, the major challenge before the security forces was the evacuation of approximately 400 family members from the residential blocks as the terrorists had entered and positioned in the C,D and E residential blocks. Reacting to the situation, Shri Kuldeep Singh Chahar, Dy Comdt. and Unit Quick Action Team (QAT) decided to undertake the challenging task and evacuated most of the residents to safety. However, the occupants of the blocks, where the terrorists had positioned themselves were yet to be rescued.

To accomplish this task, Shri Kuldeep Singh Chahar was accompanied by Head Constable Shri Dhanawade Ravindra Baban and Head Constable, Shri Rakesh Kumar Patel. He alongwith his team kept on moving inside the building to search for the terrorists. After clearing the first flat, when they approached the main door of the second flat, they found it bolted from outside. They broke the main door and cautiously made their advance way through the corridor firing probing shots.

The terrorists had placed themselves at a tactical place from where they could keep an eye on the movements of SFs. While the duo was moving ahead, they came in the line of sight of the terrorist, who without waiting any further, opened a barrage of bullets towards them. The duo not only saved themselves but also positioned themselves to counter the sudden attack. Since the terrorist had exposed his position, Shri Kuldeep Singh and Shri Dhanawade Ravindra Baban decided to take the terrorist head on in the battle before he could manage his escape any further. Shri Kuldeep Singh and Shri Dhanawade Ravidnera Baban continued to advance in an attempt to pin down the terrorist who was frequently changing his position.

Seeing them uncomfortably close, the terrorist unleashed a heavy volume of fire at the duo. The deadly bullets hit Head Constable Shri Dhanawade Ravindra Baban. Despite the injury and bleeding profusely, Shri Dhanawade Ravindra Baban did not leave the ground and continued to fire at the terrorists with his Commander Shri Kuldeep Singh Chahar. The audacious strike by the duo forced the terrorist to seek refuge behind the covers. Before the terrorist could change his position, the duo hit the terrorist leaving him grievously injured. On getting severely injured, the terrorist in a desperate attempt lobbed a grenade towards the duo to block their advance and reposition himself beneath the stairs.

Meanwhile, the blood was pouring profusely from the wounds of Shri Dhanawade Ravidnra Baban deteriorating his condition. Shri Kuldeep Singh Chahar decided to evacuate his buddy first and subjecting to grave risk managed to pull Dhanawade Ravindra to safety and evacuated him. Due to heavy exchange of fire and grenade blasts, the staircase area of the building caught fire. Agonized by the grievous injury to his buddy, he was insistent on pressing forward. But his Commandant ordered the teams to retreat as the building was up on flames and it could have endangered the room intervention party.

After putting herculean efforts for approx. 20 hours, all the terrorists were neutralized by the troops in a fierce gun battle. The safe evacuation of the civil police personnel from the residential blocks was paramount, prompting Shri Kuldeep Chahar, DC to undertake the riskiest and arduous tasks along with his selected posse of men.

Head Constable Dhanwade Ravindra Banan, unfortunately, fell to the API bullets which pierced the ballistic shield fatally wounding him. Later, he attained martyrdom in the line of duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the Force.

Shri Kuldeep Singh Chahar, Deputy Commandant showed gallantry and indomitable courage in the face of imminent death.

डेप्युटी कॉमन्डट कुलदीप सिंह चाहर

शौर्य चक्र

यूनिट - 182 बटालियन CRPF

केन्द्रीय रिजर्व पुलिस बल

आतंकवाद विरोधी अभियान

डेप्युटी कॉमन्डट कुलदीप सिंह का जन्म सूबेदार छैल्लू सिंह चाहर एवं श्रीमती भल्लो देवी के परिवार में हुआ। वह राजस्थान के झुंझुनूं जिले की बुहाना तहसील के गोठ गांव के निवासी हैं। वह केन्द्रीय रिजर्व पुलिस बल (CRPF) की 182 बटालियन में सेवारत हैं।

26 अगस्त 2017 को, भोर में 4:00 बजे, तीन आतंकवादी जम्मू-कश्मीर में पुलवामा के जिला पुलिस लाइन में घुस गए। शीघ्र ही केंद्रीय रिजर्व पुलिस बल की 182वीं बटालियन को सतर्क किया गया। जब सीआरपीएफ कर्मियों ने आतंकवादियों को पारिवारिक आवासों की ओर भागते देखा तो साहस से प्रत्युत्तर दिया। कुलदीप सिंह चाहर और बटालियन की क्विक एक्शन टीम (QAT) ने त्वरित अधिकांश निवासियों को वहां से सुरक्षित निकाल लिया।

तो भी, आतंकवादियों के आधिपत्य वाले कुछ आवासीय खंडो के निवासियों को निकालना अभी भी शेष था। आतंकवादियों की गोलीबारी का सामना करते हुए श्री चाहर हेड कांस्टेबल धनावड़े रवीन्द्र बबन के साथ भवन में प्रविष्ठ हुए और भवनों की खोज आरंभ की, जिसमें आतंकवादी द्वारा API गोलियां चलाने से हेड कांस्टेबल धनावड़े की Ballestic Shield को छेदकर गोलियां लगने से वह घायल हो गए।

आघातों के उपरांत भी, दोनों ने आतंकवादी को गंभीर रूप से घायल कर दिया। आतंकवादी ने दोनों को आगे बढ़ने से रोकने के लिए उन पर हथगोला फेंका। हेड कांस्टेबल धनावड़े रवीन्द्र बबन की स्थिति क्षीण होने पर श्री चाहर ने उन्हें वहां से निकाला। 20 घंटे के संघर्ष के पश्चात रात्रि के लगभग 11:00 बजे तक CRPF कर्मियों ने तीनों आतंकवादियों को मार गिराया। हेड कांस्टेबल धनावड़े अंततः अपने घातक आघातों से वीरगति को प्राप्त हो गए।

इस कार्रवाई में श्री कुलदीप सिंह चाहर ने आसन्न मृत्यु के समक्ष वीरता और अदम्य साहस का परिचय दिया। 15 अगस्त 2018 को स्वतंत्रता दिवस के अवसर पर महामहिम राष्ट्रपति रामनाथ कोविंद द्वारा उन्हें शौर्य चक्र दिया गया।

सम्मान

राष्ट्रपति द्वारा डिप्टी कमांडेंट , सीआरपीएफ 182 बटालियन के कुलदीप सिंह चाहर को शौर्य चक्र से सम्मानित किया गया। कुलदीप सिंह ने कई आतंक विरोधी अभियानों में भाग ले चुके हैं।^[1]