Saurabh Kalia

Captain Saurabh Kalia was an Indian military personnel captured, brutally tortured and killed by Pakistani army during Kargil war.

Personal life

Saurabh was born on 29 June 1976 at Amritsar, India to Mrs. Vijay and Dr. N.K. Kalia. His schooling took place in the D.A.V. Public School, Palampur. Saurabh graduated in (B.Sc. Med.) from H. P. Agriculture University, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh in 1997.He was brilliant in studies securing first Division and winning scholarships throughout his academic career.

Career

He was selected in the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in August 1997 through Combined Defence Services and commissioned on 12 December 1998. He got posting in the 4 JAT Regiment (Infantry) in the Kargil Sector and joined there in mid-January, 1999 after reporting at the JAT Regimental Centre, Bareilly on 31 December 1998.

Fateful events

In the first fortnight of May 1999, he went out for patrol duty three times in the Kaksar area of Kargil. He observed and reported large-scale intrusion of Pak Army and foreign mercenaries in Indian side of LoC (Kargil). He assumed guard of "Bajrang Post" at the height 13,000-14,000 feet to check infiltration along with 5 soldiers in the Kaksar area.

On May 15, 1999, after a continuous cross fire with Pakistan armed forces from across the LoC, he and his troops ran out of ammunition. It is also believed that their signal instrument was out of order, or not working in those conditions. They were...
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