Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan was born on 15th March 1977 in Kozhikode, Kerala to an ISRO officer K Unnikrishnan and Dhanalakshmi Unnikrishnan. Maj Unnikrishnan joined the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, Maharashtra in 1995 and was a graduate of the 94th Course of NDA. He was commissioned as a lieutenant to the 7th Battalion of the Bihar Regiment (Infantry) on 12th July 1999. Later, he was selected to join the National Security Guards. On completion of training, he was assigned to the Special Action Group (SAG) of NSG in January 2007 and participated in various operations of the NSG.
| Service Number | IC-58660 |
| Place of Birth | Kerala |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 51 SAG |
| Regiment | Bihar Regiment |
| Award | Ashok Chakra |
| Date of Martyrdom | 28th November 2008 |
On the night of 26th November 2008, several iconic buildings in South Mumbai were attacked. One of the buildings where hostages were held was the 100-year-old Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Major Unnikrishnan was the team commander of 51 Special Action Group (51 SAG) deployed in the operation at the hotel to rescue the hostages. He entered the hotel with a group of 10 commandos and reached the sixth floor through the staircase. As the team descended the stairs, they suspected perpetrators on the third floor. A few women were held as hostages in a room that was locked from the inside. Major Unnikrishnan engaged the terrorists in a firefight and arranged for Yadav’s evacuation. Later Major Unnikrishnan gave a chase to the terrorists who had escaped to another floor of the hotel. In the encounter that followed, he was shot from the back which proved fatal.
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan was given the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award “Ashok Chakra” posthumously.
