Hours after getting award Capt dies fighting Christian

militants ULFA in Assam

Published on Mon, Jan 28, 2008 at 10:20, Updated at Mon, Jan 28, 2008
http://www.ibnlive. com/news/ hours-after- getting-award- capt-dies- fighting- ulfa-
militants/ 57521-3.html

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS: Capt S K Choudhary was decorated with the Sena

Medal on Republic Day.
New Delhi: Twenty-four hours after he was decorated with Sena Medal for
gallantry, an Army officer was killed in a gun battle with militants near Tinsukia in
Assam on Sunday.
Capt S K Choudhary received the Sena Medal for his courage during a gun battle
with militants in Jammu and Kashmir killing two last year.
Twenty-seven- year-old Choudhary perished after killing two ULFA militants and
wounding a third in a raid, said an Army spokesman.
Based on a tip off, Army's Gorkha regiment raided Mechaki forest area at Hankhati
where the militants, including hardcore ULFA rebel Joond Bhuyan, involved in
serveal heinous crimes, were sheltered.
As the Army troops approached, the militants opened fire triggering a heavy
exchange of fire, which continued for nearly an hour.
In the shootout, Captain Choudhury, who was a prime target for ULFA after he shot
dead two leaders last year, sustained greivous injury and was airlifted to the Air
Force hospital at Roroiya where he was declared dead. According to reports,
Bhuyan managed to escape.
Bhuyan's close aides, Chandan Dohotia, alias Getley, and Tutu Moran were killed in
the encounter.
The troops recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition, an
improvised explosive device weighing five kg, timed and ready for use and two
magazines from the encounter site.
The Captain was to marry his fiancee next month. At her residence, they were
celebrating the announcement of the gallantry medal when news came in that
Chaudhary had been killed.
Son of an Army officer — his father is a Lt Colonel posted at the Army Air Defence
records office in Nashik — the Captain had already applied for leave and was due to
head to Kathua (Jammu) shortly for his wedding.