Mysore/Mysuru: Four Army personnel, including two officers, were killed in an ongoing encounter with terrorists in the border district of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Among the fallen heroes is Mysuru-based Captain M.V. Pranjal of 63 Rashtriya Rifles. 

Capt. Pranjal is the only son of retired Managing Director of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), M. Venkatesh. He had pursued his early education up to SSLC at Delhi Public School near MRPL in Surathkal, Mangaluru, and later completed his engineering degree at the National Defence Academy.

Though many reports said that Capt. Pranjal family was from Mysuru and Venkatesh shifted to Bengaluru after his retirement, not much details are available at the moment. Balasubramanya, Joint Director, Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement, Madikeri told Star of Mysore that they have information that the family is settled in Bengaluru. “We do not have any other personal details,” he said. 

The tragic incident unfolded during search operations in the Gulabgarh forest of Kalakote in Jammu and Kashmir on Nov. 19, following specific intelligence about terrorist presence. Contact with the militants was established on Nov. 22, leading to an encounter where the terrorists were injured and surrounded. The Army personnel, including Capt. Pranjal, sustained grievous injuries and succumbed to them in a hospital.

While the exact number of casualties hasn’t been confirmed by the Army, the operation is still ongoing. Capt. Pranjal was on the verge of promotion from Captain to Major. His mortal remains are expected to arrive in Bengaluru today, with final rites scheduled at Bannerghatta, accompanied by full military honours.