Maj Sukhwinder Jeet Singh Randhawa hailed from the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. He was born to Shri SS Randhawa and Smt Gurdeep Randhawa. He got selected to join the army after his graduation through Combined Defence Services Examination. He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery. After serving for some time with his parent regiment, Maj Randhawa was later deputed to serve with 2 RR Battalion, deployed in the Kashmir valley for counter-insurgency operations.
| Service Number | IC-48700 |
| Place of Birth | Gurdaspur, Punjab |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 167 Med Regt/ 2 RR |
| Regiment | Regiment of Artillery |
| Award | Kirti Chakra |
| Date of Martyrdom | 17th June 1997 |
In June 1997, Maj Randhawa’s unit 2 RR Battalion was deployed in J&K and was engaged in operations against the militants regularly. The AOR (Area of Responsibility) of the unit comprises the Anantnag district. Based on the information from the intelligence sources, on 17th June 1997, Maj Randhawa was tasked with one such operation in Kashpur village in Anantnag district. As Maj Randhawa along with his troops reached near the suspected area they came under attack by the terrorists. Maj Randhawa got injured grievously in the initial burst of fire, but disregarding his safety he turned towards the terrorists and shot one of them dead. Meanwhile, another terrorist launched a grenade attack but undeterred Maj Randhawa in a rare show of courage and gallantry managed to eliminate the second terrorist too. Maj Randhawa’s brave act not only saved the lives of his fellow soldiers but also inspired them to engage the remaining terrorists successfully. However, Maj Randhawa later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.
Maj SJS Randhawa was given the nation’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, “Kirti Chakra” for his outstanding bravery, fighting spirit, camaraderie, and supreme sacrifice.
