Naik Arvind Kumar

Naik Arvind Kumar hailed from Suri (Marhun) village of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. Son of Shri Ujjwal Singh and Smt Nirmala Devi, Naik Arvind Kumar had a younger brother Bhupinder Kumar as his sibling. Like many youths in Himachal Pradesh, he always nursed the idea of serving in the Armed Forces since his younger days. Following his passion he eventually joined the Army in the year 2012 after completing his initial education. He was recruited into the 9 Para (SF) battalion of the Parachute Regiment, an infantry Regiment well known for its daredevil para commandos and numerous bold operations.

After serving for few years, he got married to Ms Bindu Devi and the couple had two daughters Shanvi and Shanvika. By the year 2023, he had completed around 11 years of service and had been promoted to the rank of Naik.

Rajouri Operation(J&K) : 03-05 May 2023

During May 2023, Nk Arvind Kumar‘s unit 9 Para(SF) battalion was deployed in the Rajouri district of J&K. The unit troops were engaged in operations against the terrorists on a regular basis as the unit's area of responsibility (AOR) was active with militancy. The volatility of its AOR demanded 'high alert' at all times on the part of the troops. The area was also prone to infiltration, which necessitated regular armed patrols to check any infiltration from across the border. Following specific input about the presence of terrorists in the Kandi Forest in Rajouri district, a joint operation was launched on 03 May 2023. The terrorists belonged to the group that was involved in an ambush on an army truck in Poonch district on 20 April 2023. Nk Arvind Kumar was part of the team that was assigned the task. 

The search operation continued for several hours and at about 0730 hours on 05 May 2023, the search team established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. The area around the cave was thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs. The terrorists felt threatened and opened fire at the troops who then retaliated. A fierce gun battle ensued thereafter The joint force deployed drones, and sniffer dogs and hit the cave hideout with heavy mortar fire and grenades. The terrorists were heavily armed and taking advantage of the safe place triggered an explosive device in retaliation. The resultant explosion had a devastating effect and many soldiers got severely injured. The injured soldiers including an officer were immediately shifted to the Command Hospital at Udhampur for medical treatment. However, Nk Arvind Kumar and four other soldiers soon succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. Besides Nk Arvind Kumar, the other martyred brave hearts included Hav Neelam Singh, Lance Naik Ruchin Singh Rawat, Paratrooper Siddhant Chettri, and Paratrooper Pramod Negi. Nk Arvind Kumar was a valiant and committed soldier, who laid down his life in the service of the nation.

Naik Arvind Kumar is survived by his father Shri Ujjwal Singh, mother Smt Nirmala Devi, wife Smt Bindu Devi, daughters Shanvi & Shanvika and brother Shri Bhupinder Kumar.