Abhinav Kumar Choudhary

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Major Abhinav Kumar Choudhary is an officer in the Indian Army and a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra, India’s third-highest peacetime gallantry award. He was born in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, India, and joined the army in 2014 through the Technical Entry Scheme. After training at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering in Mhow and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, he was commissioned into the Corps of Signals in December 2014. In February 2018, he was posted to the 21 Rashtriya Rifles, an infantry battalion.

On 7–8 August 2018, then-Captain Choudhary led a team in the Liddar Panzal area of Baramulla district after intelligence indicated infiltrating terrorists were nearby. Despite poor visibility and difficult terrain, he reorganized his troops to block escape routes. He personally engaged two militants hiding behind a boulder, neutralizing one and engaging the other in close combat. He also helped evacuate an injured comrade. Under his leadership, five Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were eliminated without any Indian casualties.

For his exceptional courage, presence of mind, and leadership during the operation, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra. He continues to serve in the Indian Army as a Major in the Corps of Signals, with the 21 Rashtriya Rifles.