Niranjan E K

Lt. Colonel Niranjan E K was an officer in the Indian Army serving as the Officer Commandant of a Bomb Disposal Squad of the National Security Guards. He was KIA during 2016 Pathankot attack while conducting area sanitation during which a booby trap got activated. He was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously, India's 3rd highest gallantry award during peacetime, for his bravery, indomitable spirit, and sacrifice.
Personal life
Elambulassery Kalarikkal Niranjan, better known as Niranjan E K, was born on 2 May 1981 in Palakkad district of Kerala, as the second son of E K Shivarajan and Radha Shivaranjan. Since his father was working in Bharat Electronics Limited in Karnataka, Niranjan grew up in Bangalore with his 3 siblings. He married Dr. Radhika K G in 2013 and the couple has a daughter.
Education
Niranjan did his schooling at Stella Mary's school and BP Indian Public school in Bangalore. He graduated from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology with an Engineering Degree. He joined Officers Training Academy Chennai in 2003 and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in 2004.
Military career
Niranjan was Commissioned into the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army in 2004. He served in various units located at Udhampur, Vairangty Gate(Mizoram), Ranchi, and Srinagar. In 2014 he opted for National Security Guards and joined a Bomb Disposal Unit and subsequently became its Commanding officer.
Death
During the 2016 Pathankot attack, Niranjan and his Bomb Disposal Team were launched to undertake Render Safe Procedure(RSP) and Post Blast Operations Analysis. The thick vegetation and undulating terrain made the task very challenging. The presence of grenades and other explosive devices rendered the approach to the dead bodies of the slain soldiers extremely difficult. Niranjan led from the front and effectively handled two dead bodies after neutralizing the booby traps. With utter disregard to his own life Lt Col Niranjan continued to carry out the area sanitation during which a booby trap got activated. Lt Col Niranjan absorbed most of the splinters, hence screening his comrades behind him. Lt Col Niranjan later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.
Shaurya Chakra
On 15 August 2016, Niranjan was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously, India's 3rd highest gallantry award during peacetime, for his bravery, indomitable spirit, and sacrifice.

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