Not many would be surprised if an army man receives the Shaurya Chakra, India's third-highest peacetime gallantry award. But an income-tax officer? That too for fighting the enemy at the Line of control (LoC)? Meet Captain Pradeep Shoury Arya, the country's first Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and Additional Commissioner of Income-Tax, Mumbai (Investigation Wing) who has been award Shaurya Chakra for his efforts in thwarting an infiltration bid in Kashmir.
Arya is an officer in the Territorial Army. He was commissioned into the 106 Infantry Battalion Territorial Army where he was attached with 4th Battalion-Parachute Regiment (Special Forces). Captain Arya was the mission leader tasked to form an intelligence network along the LoC in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
On May 28, 2017, he was informed of a probable infiltration bid by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) around Chabuk in the 19 Infantry Division area. Captain Arya organised an ambush party and moved ahead to intercept the infiltrators. At around 10.30 pm on May 28, 2017, Captain Arya detected movementof 4-6 terrorists moving 200 m ahead in the nallah. Fearing the terrorists might slip away using the moonless night and dense jungle foliage, the officer and his troop showing pre-eminent valour moved ahead in the mined area to intercept them and immediately initiated a fire fight.
Displaying intrepidity at the risk of his life and cold nerves he closed in, and sited himself over a fallen tree overlooking the terrorists, Captain Arya showing heroic initiative and inspirational combat leadership ran ahead from his concealed position, unmindful of his own safety and came directly in contact with the terrorists and eliminated them.
Today, Captain Arya is back in Mumbai in his bureaucratic avatar. Captain Arya loved what he did for the country. He said, "When a shot is fired, the bullet does not change directions seeing an IRS officer before it. It goes through you." Why the Parachute Regiment? "Because I am an aviator -- a trained pilot," he said. For two months in a year, he serves in the Territorial Army.
As a bureaucrat what is the biggest challenge at the front? "Every time I go there, I have to tell myself that I am not an IRS officer. If you go there with your status and ego, than the men will never respect you. They respect a man in command who'll lead them...They respect a man who can give his life for them and in return they would give their lives for him."
Captain Arya belongs to the 2004 batch of the IRS and is presently posted in International Taxation of Mumbai. He has been part of the investigation wing and his previous assignments include Direct Tax Training Institution, Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal, Corporate Charge and Central Circle.
In 2013, Captain Arya was the recipient of National Award from the President of India for Best Electoral Practices, instituted by the Election Commission of India, for controlling large quantity of cash during elections in Karnataka and Nagaland. As part of the Special Forces, Northern Command, Udhampur, he had generated sufficient intelligence based on which special operations were launched for neutralising terrorists. He was conferred the Chief of Army Staff Commendation in recognition for his devotion to duty and tracking money laundering and flow of funds for terrorism and anti-national activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Captain Pradeep Shoury Arya of 06 Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Para) Attached With 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) has awarded Shaurya Chakra for his bravery act.
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