Sunil Kumar Choudhary

Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary (1980–2008) was an officer in the Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army and belonged to the 7/11 Gorkha Rifles. Choudhary served for 3.1 years and was awarded with Kirti Chakra (posthumous) and Sena Medals.

Early life & education
Sunil Kumar Choudhary was born on 22 June 1980 in Kathua district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. His father P. L. Choudhary also served in the Indian Army and held the rank of a Lieutenant colonel. Choudhary was educated in the Kendriya Vidyalaya till secondary education and then attained undergraduate degree from Garware College of Commerce in Pune. He then completed Master of Business Administration course from Savitribai Phule Pune University (Pune), India before joining the Indian army.

Army service
While Sunil Kumar Choudhary was doing MBA, his younger brother Ankur Chaudhary was selected in National Defence Academy and was undergoing his training at the NDA training academy in Khadakwasla where Sunil used to visit him often. In the training academy, there was a statue of Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, who was posthumously awarded the India's highest military honor Param Vir Chakra. Pandey was also in the 11 Gorkha Rifles. Sunil Kumar Choudhary was inspired by Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and hence dropped MBA and joined Indian Military Academy on 1 Jul 2003. After joining, he expressed desire to be a part of 11 Gorkha Rifles. Upon passing out from the academy on 10 Dec 2004, Choudhary moved to Fort William, Kolkata and joined Gorkha Rifles in Feb 2005. In May 2006, he was posted to Tinsukia district for counter-insurgency operations against United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

Sunil Kumar Choudhary killed two commanders of ULFA. Due to his services in Assam, he was awarded with Sena Medal on 26 Jan 2008.

Death
Sunil Kumar Choudhary, on 27 Jan 2008 was instructed to carry out an operation to encounter 7-9 ULFA militants who had taken shelter in two houses in the village Rangagarh. Choudhary lead a team of three attacked the house with help from another attack team. He was shot in the chest by the militants but continued to fight and killed two militants. Incidentally, Choudhary died exactly 24 hours after he was awarded the "Sena Medal" for gallantry.

Sunil Kumar Choudhary was awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously.