Naik Rajesh Kumar belonged to Rajrana village in Sardulgarh tehsil of Mansa district of Punjab. He joined the Indian Army and was recruited into the 3 Guards Battalion of the Brigade of Guards, an infantry regiment. After serving for few years with his parent unit Naik Rajesh was deputed to serve with 21 RR battalion, deployed in J&K for counter-insurgency operations.
| Place of Birth | Mansa, Punjab |
| Rank | Naik |
| Unit | 3 Guards/ 21 RR |
| Regiment | The Brigade of Guards |
| Date of Martyrdom | 2nd May 2020 |
In 2020, Naik Rajesh was serving with 21 RR battalion deployed in J&K. Based on a credible intelligence report about the presence of terrorists in Wadarbala-Rajwara forests in Kupwara district, the security forces (CRPF, J&K Police, and Army) decided to launch a joint operation on 1st May 2020. The Army troop comprised of the 21 RR unit led by Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, the Commanding Officer of 21 RR. The team also included Company Commander Major Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Singh, and few more soldiers.
On 2nd May 2020, after the completion of the operation as the 21 RR unit was returning, the team received inputs about the presence of some more terrorists in a house in Chanjimulla village. The terrorists hiding in two houses fired at the security forces and a fierce gun battle ensued. Naik Rajesh and his comrades managed to kill two terrorists. However, during the heavy firing Naik Rajesh, along with Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Sood, and Lance Naik Dinesh Singh got severely injured and later succumbed to their wounds.
Naik Rajesh was a brave heart who fought for the country till his last breath and was awarded the ‘Sena Medal’ posthumously.
