Mohali Colonel awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously

Chandigarh, August 16

Col Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, who laid down his life in a gunbattle with terrorists in Anantnag in September last year, has been decorated with the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime award for gallantry.

He belonged to Bhronjian village near New Chandigarh in Mohali district, while his wife’s parents are residing in Panchkula. Two years prior to this, he had been decorated with the Sena Medal for neutralising terrorists.

According to his citation for the Kirti Chakra, he was heading a specific search and destroy operation in densely forested hills of a village in Anantnag district. As the terrorist hideout was located and identified, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire in a bid to escape.

Colonel Singh, unmindful of his own safety, returned fire towards the escaping terrorists, killing one terrorist. Displaying extraordinary leadership, the officer quickly reorganised the party to plug the escape routes. He continued firing on the terrorists. However, in the ensuing gunfight he sustained severe gunshot wound on the forehead.

“Col Manpreet Singh displayed raw courage and unparallel leadership by leading from the front,” the citation said.

He had spent almost five years with the same RR battalion, the first three as the second-in-command and then as the Commanding Officer. Commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry, he had put in about 17 years of service. — TNS