Ashutosh Sharma (Indian Army officer)

Sharma was born in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh to Shambhu Dutt Pathak, a soil conservation officer, and Sudha Sharma. The family hailed from the Parwana Mahmodpur village of Aurangabad area in Bulandshahr.[1] He completed his schooling and graduation in Bulandshahr and attended the DAV Inter College.[2] Sharma wanted to join the Indian Army from a young age and attempted to join for over six years. He was successful in his thirteenth attempt and joined the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai.[3] At OTA, he was part of the hockey team and represented the academy at the Inter Academy Games held at Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.[4]

Sharma graduated from OTA, Chennai (SSC - 72), and was commissioned into the 19th battalion, Brigade of the Guards on 1 September 2001.[4] In his two decades of service in the Army, he was a part of multiple successful counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.[5]

Sharma was awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry on 26 January 2018.[6] In 2019, he shot, at close range, a terrorist who was rushing towards his men and personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police with a hidden grenade, preventing him front harming them.[5] For this action, on 15 August 2019, when serving as the commanding officer of the 21st battalion, Rashtriya Rifles, he was awarded the bar to Sena Medal.[7]

On 2 May 2020, intelligence reports were received indicating the presence of terrorists inside a house in the Changimulla village near Handwara. The civilians were held hostage. Sharma launched a cordon and search operation with the J&K police. The civilians were rescued and the team came under heavy fire. The communication links with the team were lost. After an 18-hour operation, the two terrorists were killed. Apart from Sharma, four other Indian security forces personnel were killed in the encounter, including Major Anuj Sood, SC.[3][8] Sharma was the first commanding officer in the last five years to have lost his life in an encounter.[9]

Sharma was cremated with full military honours on 5 May 2020 in Jaipur. The Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command, Lieutenant General Alok Singh Kler paid their respects to the brave-heart and offered condolences to his family.[10] Also present were the Member of Parliament Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Minister for Ex- Servicemen Welfare Rajasthan and the Commissioner of Police and the District Collector of Jaipur.[11]

In the 2021 Republic Day honours list, Sharma was posthumously decorated with the second bar to the sena medal.[12]

Sharma was married to Pallavi Sharma and the couple had a daughter, Tamanna.[13]