Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 15: Santosh Kumar from Kodakallu in Mudipu here, who received bullet injuries to his chest during his fight with terrorists trained by Pakistan in Kashmir, has come back home.

Santosh was one among the survivors of the attack launched by seven terrorists deployed by Pakistan at Kupawara in Jammu on October 12 last.

In spite of being under treatment for five months, the health condition of Santosh is such that he may not be able to serve the army again, although he is mentally prepared to fight for his motherland anytime.

When Santosh was leading a contingent of soldiers on patrol duty there, terrorists hiding in a vacant students hostel building had rained bullets on them. After his associate, Biswas, was gunned down, Santosh rushed to first floor of the building by which time, two bullets had pierced his thigh. He continued his ascent after gunning down a terrorist found in first floor room, but when scaling the second floor, two bullets fired by terrorists entered his chest, as a result of which he became unconscious.

The Indian army which came to know about this operation, killed the terrorists hiding there with a rocket launcher. At the end, Santosh was the only survivor among the entire contingent.

Santosh, son of Vimala, who rolled bidis to educate her son, and Ramanna Salian, residents of Kakkepadavu in Karinja near Bantwal, lost his father when in seventh standard. Santosh got PU education in government college at Mudipu and joined Indian army in 2003. He married Shreelatha, a teacher, three years ago.

Santosh, who had kept the information about his serious injury a secret, had conveyed information to a friend of his with instruction to reveal details only if he loses his life. After being dropped off by an army vehicle on April 3 at his home, his mother had collapsed to the ground at the sight of the condition her son was in.