Puneet Nath Dutt

2nd Lt. Puneet Nath Datt (29 April 1973 – 20 July 1997), was a soldier who served in the 11 Gorkha Rifles regiment of the Indian Army.

He belonged to the Muhiyal community and was posthumously awarded India's highest peace-time gallantry award, Ashok Chakra^[1] for bravery displayed in an operation conducted against foreign terrorists well-entrenched in a three-storey building in the Naushera area of Srinagar in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.^[2]

Family

Consistent with the tradition of military service among Muhiyal Brahmins,^[3] 2nd. Lt. Puneet Nath Datt's family included other soldiers as well. His father Major Pramod Nath Datt also belonged to Gorkha Rifles and was the reason Puneet Nath Datt was inspired to join the same regiment. His grandfather Col. S.N.C Bakshi also served in the Indian Army while his uncle V.K.C Bakhshi was a Commander in the Indian Navy. The posthumous Ashok Chakra was received on his behalf by his mother Mrs. Anita Datt, from the President of India on 26 January 1998, India's Republic Day.

References