Who was Major Mohit Sharma, the Indian Army Braveheart who infiltrated terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and killed dreaded terrorists

The name of Major Mohit Sharma was etched in the collective memory of the country forever on March 21, 2009, when the braveheart soldier laid down his life in the service of the nation during a military operation in Kupwara District of North Kashmir. Major Sharma, who was part of several key operations of the Indian Armed Forces, is a legend whose stories of valour and patriotism continue to inspire generations of Indians. Early life and childhood of Major Sharma Major Mohit Sharma was born in a small town of Rohtak in Haryana in 1978. He was the second child of his parents, Shri Rajendra Prasad Sharma and Smt Sushila Sharma. Fondly called ‘Chintu’ by his family and ‘Mike’ by his college mates, Major Sharma was an extremely bright and exuberant child. He not only excelled in studies, but was also good at playing various musical instruments like guitar, mouth organ and synthesiser. He also possessed impressive singing skills and used to give live performances. After securing good grades in school, he was admitted to Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj College of Engineering, Shegaon, Maharashtra. However, driven by his passion to join the Armed Forces, he left engineering and joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 1995. At the NDA, Major Sharma excelled in diverse fields and emerged as one of the best cadets. He was a member of the India Squadron and was also a champion Horse Rider, trained under the guidance of Colonel Bhawani Singh, with his favourite horse named “Indira”. In addition to that, Major Sharma was a Boxing champion in the featherweight category and also one of the best swimmers. After joining the Indian Military Academy (IMA), he was appointed as a BCA (Battalion Cadet Adjutant) and was chosen to meet Shri KR Narayanan, then the President of India, at Rashtrapati Bhawan. He graduated from IMA on December 11, 1999 and got commissioned in the 5th Battalion of the Madras Regiment. Major Mohit Sharma with his wife Colonel (Then Major) Rishima Sharma Major Sharma’s decorated career in the Armed Forces Major Mohit Sharma got his first posting at Hyderabad, from where he went to serve with 38 Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu & Kashmir as part of counterinsurgency operations. During his tenure with the Rashtriya Rifles, he was awarded the COAS Commendation Card (Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card) in 2002. His desire to become a para-commando led him to join the prestigious 1 Para Special Forces (Para SF) in June 2003. The battalion is trained to handle the most challenging, covert and high-risk missions of the Army. During his tenure with the battalion, Major Sharma received the Sena Medal for gallantry in 2004. In his brief service of around 10 years in the Armed Forces, Major Sharma participated in some of the most dangerous and daring operations of the security forces. Major Sharma’s famous covert operation In his famous covert operation, Major Mohit Sharma successfully infiltrated a Hizbul Mujahideen group in 2004 and eliminated two dreaded terrorists. The operation was executed in Shopian, 50 km south of Kashmir. Major Mohit Sharma managed to establish contact with two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, namely, Abu Torara and Abu Sabzar, under the alias of Iftikhar Bhatt. To blend into the terror outfit, Major Sharma completely changed his appearance by growing long hair and keeping a thick beard. Major Mohit Sharma as ‘Iftikar Bhatt’(Image via Instagram @major_mohitsharma) Major Sharma made up a story and convinced the Hizbul terrorists that he wanted to avenge his brother’s killing in 2001 by attacking an Indian Army checkpoint. He sought the help of Torara and Sabzar in avenging his brother’s death. He told the terrorists that he had done the necessary groundwork to carry out the attack and showed them hand-drawn maps of army movement in an unknown hill trail, thus impressing them. He convinced them that he would not return to his village until he had struck an army checkpoint. The terrorists fell into his trap and arranged for a consignment of grenades, besides summoning three other terrorists from a nearby village. All this while, Major Mohit Sharma waited for the right opportunity to kill the terrorists. And finally, the moment arrived when he found the terrorists off guard and shot them dead. Five years after the covert operation, the valorous Indian Army Officer was killed in action during an anti-terror operation in the Kupwara district in 2009. During the operation, Major Sharma killed two terrorists in a close fight and rescued his colleagues before he was hit with a bullet to the chest. Major Mohit Sharma was awarded India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra posthumously. Why Major Sharma is in news Major Mohit Sharma’s name was in the news recently after it was claimed that the Bollywood movie Dhurandhar that released today is based on his life. As the trailer of the movie came out, many people, including Major Mohit Sharma’s family, bel

Dec 5, 2025 1

Who was Major Mohit Sharma, the Indian Army Braveheart who infiltrated terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and killed dreaded terrorists
Major Mohit Sharma was awarded the Ashok Chakra in 2009.

The name of Major Mohit Sharma was etched in the collective memory of the country forever on March 21, 2009, when the braveheart soldier laid down his life in the service of the nation during a military operation in Kupwara District of North Kashmir. Major Sharma, who was part of several key operations of the Indian Armed Forces, is a legend whose stories of valour and patriotism continue to inspire generations of Indians.

Early life and childhood of Major Sharma

Major Mohit Sharma was born in a small town of Rohtak in Haryana in 1978. He was the second child of his parents, Shri Rajendra Prasad Sharma and Smt Sushila Sharma. Fondly called ‘Chintu’ by his family and ‘Mike’ by his college mates, Major Sharma was an extremely bright and exuberant child. He not only excelled in studies, but was also good at playing various musical instruments like guitar, mouth organ and synthesiser. He also possessed impressive singing skills and used to give live performances. After securing good grades in school, he was admitted to Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj College of Engineering, Shegaon, Maharashtra. However, driven by his passion to join the Armed Forces, he left engineering and joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 1995.

At the NDA, Major Sharma excelled in diverse fields and emerged as one of the best cadets. He was a member of the India Squadron and was also a champion Horse Rider, trained under the guidance of Colonel Bhawani Singh, with his favourite horse named “Indira”. In addition to that, Major Sharma was a Boxing champion in the featherweight category and also one of the best swimmers. After joining the Indian Military Academy (IMA), he was appointed as a BCA (Battalion Cadet Adjutant) and was chosen to meet Shri KR Narayanan, then the President of India, at Rashtrapati Bhawan. He graduated from IMA on December 11, 1999 and got commissioned in the 5th Battalion of the Madras Regiment.

Major Mohit Sharma with his wife Colonel (Then Major) Rishima Sharma

Major Sharma’s decorated career in the Armed Forces

Major Mohit Sharma got his first posting at Hyderabad, from where he went to serve with 38 Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu & Kashmir as part of counterinsurgency operations. During his tenure with the Rashtriya Rifles, he was awarded the COAS Commendation Card (Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card) in 2002. His desire to become a para-commando led him to join the prestigious 1 Para Special Forces (Para SF) in June 2003. The battalion is trained to handle the most challenging, covert and high-risk missions of the Army. During his tenure with the battalion, Major Sharma received the Sena Medal for gallantry in 2004. In his brief service of around 10 years in the Armed Forces, Major Sharma participated in some of the most dangerous and daring operations of the security forces.

Major Sharma’s famous covert operation

In his famous covert operation, Major Mohit Sharma successfully infiltrated a Hizbul Mujahideen group in 2004 and eliminated two dreaded terrorists. The operation was executed in Shopian, 50 km south of Kashmir. Major Mohit Sharma managed to establish contact with two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, namely, Abu Torara and Abu Sabzar, under the alias of Iftikhar Bhatt. To blend into the terror outfit, Major Sharma completely changed his appearance by growing long hair and keeping a thick beard.

Major Mohit Sharma as ‘Iftikar Bhatt’
(Image via Instagram @major_mohitsharma)

Major Sharma made up a story and convinced the Hizbul terrorists that he wanted to avenge his brother’s killing in 2001 by attacking an Indian Army checkpoint. He sought the help of Torara and Sabzar in avenging his brother’s death. He told the terrorists that he had done the necessary groundwork to carry out the attack and showed them hand-drawn maps of army movement in an unknown hill trail, thus impressing them. He convinced them that he would not return to his village until he had struck an army checkpoint. The terrorists fell into his trap and arranged for a consignment of grenades, besides summoning three other terrorists from a nearby village. All this while, Major Mohit Sharma waited for the right opportunity to kill the terrorists. And finally, the moment arrived when he found the terrorists off guard and shot them dead.

Five years after the covert operation, the valorous Indian Army Officer was killed in action during an anti-terror operation in the Kupwara district in 2009. During the operation, Major Sharma killed two terrorists in a close fight and rescued his colleagues before he was hit with a bullet to the chest. Major Mohit Sharma was awarded India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra posthumously.

Why Major Sharma is in news

Major Mohit Sharma’s name was in the news recently after it was claimed that the Bollywood movie Dhurandhar that released today is based on his life. As the trailer of the movie came out, many people, including Major Mohit Sharma’s family, believed that a character in the movie played by actor Ranveer Singh was inspired by his life. The family moved the Delhi High Court to stop the release of the film, saying that their consent was not taken before making the movie. While no stay order has yet been granted by the High Court on the release of the film, its producer, Aditya Dhar, clarified that the movie is not based on Major Mohit Sharma’s life.

“Hi, sir – our film Dhurandhar is not based on the life of braveheart Major Mohit Sharma AC(P) SM. This is an official clarification. I assure you, if we do make a biopic on Mohit sir in the future, we will do it with full consent and in complete consultation with the family, and in a way that truly honors his sacrifice for the nation and the legacy it has left for all of us,” Dhar wrote on X on 26th November, responding to a post.

Read More