Lance Naik Mohan Goswami

Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami AC
Born	Nainital, India
Died	3 September 2015(2015-09-03) Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Service/branch	Indian Army
Rank	Lance Naik, Commando
Service number	13625566W
Unit	9 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)
Awards	Ashoka Chakra
Spouse(s)	Bhawna Goswami

Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami was an Indian Army Special Forces commando who attained martyrdom while battling militants in Jammu and Kashmir. Goswami belonged to 9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army. He was actively involved in three counter insurgency operations in which ten terrorists were killed and one captured alive in his last 11 days. He died in an ambush operation while fighting four terrorist in Kupwara, Kashmir on 3 September 2015. For his action in Kupwara, he was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Biography

He hailed from Indira Nagar-I village in Bindukhatta, Lalkuan - Nainital district of Uttarakhand (Formerly part of the state of Uttar Pradesh). With his wife Bhawna Goswami they had one daughter, Bhumika Goswami.^[5] His father had also served in the Army.

Military career

Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami volunteered to join the elite Para Commando outfit of the Indian Army in 2002. He was actively involved in three operations in which ten terrorists were killed and one captured alive in his last 11 days. The first operation was conducted in Khurmur, Handwara, on 23 August and resulted in elimination of three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists. He then volunteered for second operation in Rafiabad, Kashmir. The operation which lasted over two days led to the elimination of three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists and capture of one terrorist Sajjad Ahmad alias Abu Ubed Ullah. His last operation was on 3 September, where he was part of an ambush team. He was injured during the gunfight and succumbed to his wounds, but not before killing two and wounding another two terrorists.

Aftermath

His body was flown by an Indian Air Force aircraft to Bareilly from where his body was taken by an army helicopter to Pantnagar and on to his birthplace. He was cremated with full military honour in his native village

Citation

The Ashok Chakra citation for Mohan Goswami reads -

On the intervening night of 02/03 September 2015 Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami was part of an ambush in Haphruda forest at Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. At about 20:15hrs, there was a fierce encounter with four terrorists wherein two of his comrades were injured and pinned down. Lance Naik Mohan along with his buddy dashed forward to rescue their injured colleagues, knowing well the risks to their own lives. He first assisted in eliminating one terrorist. Sensing grave danger to three of his wounded colleagues, Lance Naik Mohan with utter disregard to his own personal safety, charged at the remaining terrorists drawing intense fire from them. He was hit in the thigh. Unmindful, he closed in and eliminated one terrorist, injured another and was again shot in the abdomen. Undeterred by his injuries, he hurled himself on the last terrorist and killed him at point blank range before succumbing to his wounds. Lance Naik Mohan not only killed two terrorists, but also assisted in neutralizing the other two and save the lives of three of his wounded colleagues. Thus, Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami exhibited most conspicuous gallantry in personally eliminating two terrorists and assisting in evacuation of his wounded colleagues and made supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.^[6]

References

External links

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