Havildar Chougule Jotiba Ganpati was born to Shri Ganpati and Smt Vatsala and belonged to Mahagaon village of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. He joined the Indian army in the year-2002 and was recruited into the Maratha Light Infantry regiment. In December 2019, Havildar Jotiba Ganpati’s unit was deployed in the Bandipore district of J&K.
| Service Number | 2802862L |
| Place of Birth | Kolhapur |
| Rank | Havildar |
| Regiment | Maratha Light Infantry |
| Date of Martyrdom | 16th December 2019 |
On 16th December 2019 Pakistani forces indulged in ceasefire violation and resorted to unprovoked firing. It was probably an attempt to provide cover fire to infiltrators sneaking from across the border. On that day, Havildar Jotiba Ganpati and his comrades were manning the forward posts in the Gurez sector along the LOC. Indian army initiated a befitting reply resulting in a prolonged cross-border exchange of fire. However, during the exchange of fire, Havildar Jotiba Ganpati got seriously injured. He later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.
Havildar Chougule Jotiba Ganpati is survived by his father Shri Ganpati, mother Smt Vatsala, wife Smt Yashoda, sons Atharv & Harsh, and brother Rajnikant.
