Jaipur: Rich tributes were on Tuesday paid to Col Ashutosh Sharma, who was martryred in an encounter with terrorists in 12-hour-long encounter at Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Jaipur-based Sapta Sapta Shakti Command Commander Lt Gen Alok Kler besides other senior officials from security agencies laid wreath and paid floral tributes to the martyr here, Rajasthan-based Defence PRO Col Sombit Ghosh said.
On the occassion also present were, Member of Parliament Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister for Ex- Servicemen Welfare Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Revenue Secretary Sandeep Verma, Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava and District Collector Jogaram.
Speaking on the occasion, General Kler, saluted the bravery and ultimate sacrifice made by Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, as also by his other four comrades in arm, including Maj Anuj Sood, in the cause of our great nation.
He highlighted, that Col Ashutosh Sharma, represents every gallant soldier in operations and assured that the Indian Army will always remember the martyr and also his family in the years to come.
He also interacted with the family members of the martyr and expressed his condolences to them.
Colonel Ashutosh Sharma was commissioned on September 1, 2001 into 19 Batallion Brigade of The GUARDS.
He was Commanding officer of 21 Rashtriya Rifles, deployed in the sensitive North Kashmir.
Always leading from the front, Colonel Ashutosh Sharma was recipient of two Sena Medal, the officer along with his comrades, Maj Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Singh and Sub Inspector Shakeel Qazi of J&K Police were martyred during fierce encounter in Handwara on the night of May 2, with Pak sponsored terrorists.
Colonel Sharma is survived by his wife Pallavi Sharma and a 12-year-old daughter Tamanna, who reside at Vaishali Nagar here.
The martyr’s mother, Sudha Sharma and brother, Piyush Sharma also reside in Jaipur.
After paying homage with full military honours, the last rites were performed at the Sodala cremation ground, in presence of his family members and friends.
