Sepoy Ajay Kumar was born on 25th June 1992 to Shri Suresh Kaundal and Smt Kamla Devi. He hailed from Kotla Panjola village of the Sirmaur district in Himachal. He joined the Indian Army after completing his schooling. He was recruited into 8 Mech Inf of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. After serving with his parent unit for few years, he was deputed to 42 Rashtriya Rifles.
| Place of Birth | Sirmaur, Himachal |
| Rank | Sepoy |
| Unit | 42 RR/ 8 Mech Inf |
| Regiment | Mechanised Infantry |
| Award | Shaurya Chakra |
| Date of Martyrdom | 24th April 2018 |
In 2018, Sepoy Ajay’s unit was deployed in the Tral area of the Pulwama district in J&K. This area is considered to be one of the most volatile regions in J&K. On 24th April 2018, Sepoy Ajay’s unit received information from the intelligence about the presence of the militants. A joint team comprising of members of 42 RR unit, the state police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), and the CRPF swung into action immediately. The militant started firing at the security forces. The cross-fire that ensued thereafter continued for several hours and four militants were killed. Sepoy Ajay was tasked to be a scout in the initial search for the militants. Sepoy Ajay with utter courage engaged with the enemy to enable his team to take cover without sustaining any losses. Sepoy Ajay eliminated a militant but he sustained injuries including a gunshot wound on his head. He was shifted to the base hospital but could not be saved.
The brave soldier was awarded ‘Shaurya Chakra’ posthumously for displaying courage and grit on the battlefield.
