Jagannath Raoji Chitnis

By 1956, Lt Col Chitnis had put in about 14 years of service and had been promoted to the rank of a Lt Col. In 1956, he had become commanding officer of 1/3 Gorkha Rifles (since Independence, part of the Indian Army) and was serving in the northeastern border of the country. Lt Col Chitnis was a committed soldier and a fine officer, who commanded the respect of his men. As a thorough professional, Lt Col Chitnis had trained and established his battalion into a lethal strike force.

During 1956, Lt Col Jagannath Raoji Chitnis was posted in Nagaland as Commanding Officer of 1/3 Gorkha Rifles. On 14 June 1956, Lt Col Chitnis accompanied by Subedar Major Nain Singh was heading towards Zunhebeto from Mokokchung with a treasury chest containing the pay of the battalion. There was a convoy of eight jeeps with a platoon as escort. On nearing the 21st km milestone, around 100 Naga rebels belonging to Gen Kaito Sema’s Federal Army opened fire on the middle jeep of the convoy. These rebels were heavily armed with LMGs (Light Machine Guns), sten guns and rifles. The sudden attack resulted in three of the jeeps getting isolated.

Lt Col Chitnis was commissioned into the Third Battalion of the Gorkha Rifles (then part of the British Indian Army) on 12 April 1942. After passing out from OTS Bangalore, Lt Col Chitnis served with his unit in different operational areas and evolved into an experienced and battle-hardened soldier.

Lieutenant Colonel Jagannath Raoji Chitnis, AC (20 August 1918 – 14 June 1956) was an Indian Army officer in 3 Gorkha Rifles who was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime military decoration Ashoka Chakra.

Lieutenant Colonel Jagannath Raoji Chitnis was born on 20 August 1918 in Satara, Maharashtra. Son of Sri Raoji Gopal Chitnis.