NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MAY 6
A wreath-laying ceremony was organised at Hut of Remembrance at National Defence Academy in honour of Major Anuj Sood, who attained martyrdom on May 2 during counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. The Commandant NDA, Lt Gen Asit Mistry, AVSM, SM, VSM, on behalf of the officers and NDA fraternity paid homage to the fallen braveheart in the solemn ceremony.
Maj Anuj Sood was an alumnus of NDA, who had graduated as part of the 120th course in June 2011. He was a second-generation Army Officer and was commissioned in the 19th Battalion of the Brigade of the Guards. He was part of 21 Rashtriya Rifles in Kashmir during this operation.
Demonstrating unparalleled courage and exceptional devotion to duty while making the supreme sacrifice, Maj Anuj Sood has lived up to the motto of NDA ‘Service Before Self’. Today as his name gets etched in the four walls of sanctum sanctorum of Hut of Remembrance, his martyrdom will continue to inspire future generations of NDA cadets.
‘Hut of Remembrance’ at NDA is a sublime cenotaph that commemorates the sacrifice of ex-NDA officers of the Armed Forces who lay down their lives in the line of duty.
Handwara martyr cremated in Chandigarh
The mortal remains of Major Anuj Sood, who was killed in an anti-terror operation in North Kashmir, were consigned to flames with full military honours at the Manimajra cremation ground on Tuesday.
He was one of the five personnel killed in action during an encounter with militants in Handwara area of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday night.
Sood’s mortal remains, wrapped in tricolour, had arrived in Chandigarh on Monday evening. They were taken to the cremation ground from his residence in Amravati Enclave in Panchkula on Tuesday.
In wake of the coronavirus pandemic, only a limited number of senior army officers and Major Sood’s family members, including his wife Aakriti, father Brigadier Chandrakant Sood (retd), sister Harshita, who is also an army officer, mother, in-laws and some close relatives were present during the cremation.
Lt Gen GS Sangha, chief of staff, western command, paid him tribute on behalf of the army.
Haryana assembly speaker and Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta, deputy commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja and commissioner of police Saurabh Singh also paid their respects.
Sood’s father said he was a true son of the nation.