As a mark of lasting memory to the fallen soldier of the motherland, the Northern Railway has announced renaming of Kathua Railway Station in the Jammu Division as “Martyr Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua” Railway Station with immediate effect.
A circular issued by the Railways on Friday the 17th of July 2026 said the Kathua station’s new alpha code will be MSKT, replacing KTHU, while all other particulars remain unchanged.
Now the station will appear as “MC Sunil Kathua” in the Unreserved Ticketing System and Passenger Reservation System manifest.
Earlier the area MP and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh had tweeted in a social media post describing the Indian Railway’s move as a tribute to the of local war hero Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhry who laid down his life while fighting terrorists.
The Story of Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary, Kirti Chakra and Sena Medal
- Early Life & Motivation: Born on June 22, 1980, in Govindsar village near Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir, Sunil grew up in a patriotic military family. He was the son of Army veteran Lt. Col. P.L. Choudhary. Inspired heavily by the legendary Kargil war hero Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey (PVC), Sunil chose to drop his MBA studies to join the Indian Army.
- Commissioning: He joined the Indian Military Academy in 2003 and passed out on December 10, 2004. He specifically requested to join the famed 7/11 Gorkha Rifles regiment.
- Counter-Insurgency Operations: In May 2006, Captain Sunil was posted to the Tinsukia district of Assam to carry out operations against the militant outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). He quickly became known for his fierce combat skills, tracking down and eliminating two prominent ULFA commanders within his initial tenure.
- Double Gallantry Honors: Due to his exceptional anti-terror work, he was awarded the Sena Medal on Republic Day, January 26, 2008. Just one day later, on January 27, 2008, his unit received intelligence regarding a group of 7 to 9 heavily armed terrorists hiding inside two houses in Rangagarh village, Assam.
- The Supreme Sacrifice: Captain Sunil led a small assault team of three soldiers from the front. During the intense close-quarter firefight, he was shot directly in the chest. Refusing to back down despite the fatal wound, he charged ahead, outflanked the escaping militants, and killed two of them at point-blank range. His bravery saved his team from further casualties before he succumbed to his injuries. He passed away exactly 24 hours after winning his Sena Medal, at the age of 27 years..
- Posthumous Legacy: For his conspicuous bravery and unmatched ultimate sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
