Major from Bhandup recognised for arresting three militants in Jammu and Kashmir

Major Nitin Shetty has received the prestigious Chief of Army Staff citation (Commendation Card)

A soldier from Bhandup has received the prestigious Chief of Army Staff citation (Commendation Card) for his role in an operation that led to the arrest of three militants in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

Major Nitin Shetty, 33, was posted in Jammu last year when the jawans of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) came under attack from militants on September 20, 2017. The jawans were manning a post outside the 8-5 km under-construction Jawahar tunnel in Banihal, Ramban district, Jammu Province. The tunnel facilitates round-the-year road connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu. The attack took place around 7.15 pm, leaving a head SSB constable martyred. Another jawan lost his jawbone due to a blunt force attack. The terrorists had snatched two rifles before fleeing from the spot.

Barely 24 hours after the attack, the Indian Army and SSB started a combing operation and got information on the militants involved in the attack. They arrested Gazanfar Ahmed, 21, a resident of Banihal and third-year college student and Mohammed Arif Khan, 25, another Banihal resident. On September 25, 2017, they arrested a third militant, Aquib Wahid, the nephew of a division commander of Hizbul Mujahideen.

Both the weapons snatched from SSB jawans were also recovered during the operation. These two arrests lead to the apprehension of a fourth terrorist later.
Major Shetty played vital role in the operation, which was a major success for the Army as well as the J&K Police. Yesterday, the Army announced the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card for the mission.

The Major's friends and family expressed joy on this recognition. "The entire family is really happy, as the operation was really tough and challenging. We are proud of him," said Prafull Mishra, the Major's brother-in-law. "He lives with his parents, wife and one-and-half-year-old son in Bhandup now. Everyone was so happy when they heard the news," he added.

Background
Born in Vikhroli, Nitin Shetty studied at Godrej school, followed by Jhunjhunwala College in Ghatkopar. He trained for three years at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, and then went to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army in 2007.

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