EPISODE 2 - Major Anuj Sood
- hitarthj07
- May 14, 2020
- 4 min read
Date of Birth: December 17, 1989
Place of Birth: Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
Service: Army
Last Rank: Major
Unit: 19 Guards / 21 Rashtriya Rifles
Regiment: The Brigade of Guards
Operation: CI & IS Ops
Date of Martyrdom: May 02, 2020
Maj Anuj Sood hailed from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, but the family later settled down in Chandigarh. Son of an army veteran Brig Chandrakant Sood and Smt Suman Sood, Maj Anuj was born on 17 Dec 1989. He studied from Punjab Public School (PPS) Nabha from 2006 to 2008 where he was nicknamed as "Fauji" and later got selected to join the prestigious NDA in the year 2008. Right from his childhood days, he always wanted to follow into the footsteps of his father(who served in the Corps of EME) and serve in the Army like him. His dream eventually came true and he donned the army uniform as an officer in the year 2013. He was commissioned into 19 Guards of the Brigade of Guards, an infantry Regiment known for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle exploits.
Maj Anuj later got married to Ms. Akriti Singh, a software engineer, hailing from Himachal Pradesh. After serving for few years with his parent unit, Maj Anuj was deputed to serve with 21 RR Battalion, deployed in J&K for counter-insurgency operations.
THE HANDWARA ENCOUNTER - MAY 02, 2020
During 2020, Maj Anuj Sood was serving with 21 RR battalion deployed in J&K. He was functioning as one of the Company Commanders of the battalion, which was engaged in counter-insurgency operations in its area of operation(AOR). As a number of militants were active in its AOR, the unit troops had to maintain a very high state of preparedness at all times and had to undertake operations at a short notice. Based on the information from the intelligence sources, about the presence of some hardcore militants in Wadarbala-Rajwara forests in Kupwara district, the security forces decided to launch a joint combing operation on 01 May 2020, comprising the elements of Army, CRPF and J&K Police. As planned the joint task force launched the operation on the morning of 01 May 2020, wherein the Army team comprised 21 RR troops led by Col Ashutosh Sharma. Besides the CO himself, the 21 RR team included the Maj Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Singh, and few more soldiers.
As Maj Anuj Sood along with his CO Col Ashutosh Sharma and other soldiers were returning from the massive combing operation in Wadarbala-Rajwara forests on 02 May 2020, the team received inputs that 2-4 terrorists had taken refuge in a house in the nearby Chanjimulla hamlet. As per the information received, the terrorists clad in combat uniform had taken few civilians hostage in one of the houses. Maj Anuj Sood and his team immediately reached the site and swung into action. The terrorists were found to be hiding in two adjacent houses, who fired at the troops on being challenged.
A fierce gun-battle ensued thereafter lasting for several hours. During the drawn-out battle, Maj Anuj Sood and his men managed to eliminate two terrorists and also succeeded in extricating a number of civilians. However, during the heavy exchange of fire Maj Anuj Sood, Col Ashutosh Sharma, Naik Rajesh Kumar, and Lance Naik Dinesh Singh got severely injured. They later succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. Maj Anuj Sood was a brave soldier and a fine officer, who led from the front and laid down his life at the age of 30 years in the line of his duty.
Major Sood's family got the news of his martyrdom the same day as he was scheduled to return home after a gap of six months. While he had finished his stint in Jammu & Kashmir in March, he had been told to stay there due to the lockdown.
"He was to come home after a month long leave, and then join Gurdaspur in Punjab." his father Retd. Brigadier C.K. Sood who was in EME Corps and also served in Kashmir, said.
In their last conversation on Saturday, Anuj told his father that he was heading for an OP, his father said, "I later texted him about his whereabouts, he texted back saying that they were chasing two militants in a search-op."
“He has made a supreme sacrifice. It was part of his duty and what he was trained for. He was meant to save lives,” said Brigadier Chandrakant Sood (R), father of Major Anuj Sood who was martyred in the Handwara along with four other security personnel during an encounter with two Pakistani terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
His eyes were welling up, the retired father said he had been married just two and a half years and barely had spent two to three months with his wife Akriti Sood. The two got married in September 2017, and recently Akriti quit her job at a private company in Pune to live with Anuj in Gurdaspur posting.
Retd. Brigadier Chandrakant Sood said, “Kuch karke gaya hai woh. Desh ka beta tha, desh ke naam ho gaya (He died for a cause. He was a true son of the nation). There is war and there is sacrifice. There is no fear in this job.”
He also recalled asking Anuj once what he would do if he couldn’t clear the NDA exam. The boy who won horse-riding nationals in Kolkata in 2005 said, “with a cocky smile”, “international jockey banoonga”.
Truly, Major Anuj Sood teaches us a lot and will forever be an inspiration to millions of youngsters and teach them the values of sacrifice, devotion to Motherland Bharat.
WE SALUTE THIS BRAVEHEART WHO DEDICATED HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO PROTECT OUR MOTHERLAND BHARAT.
Jai Hind.
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