1. Lieutenant General Sagat Singh, PVSM was a General Officer in the Indian Army, notable for his participation in the liberation of Goa and later for his operational maneuver in crossing Meghna river and capturing Dhaka during Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.
Sagat Singh held many commands and staff appointments throughout his career.
Sagat Singh is regarded as the best Indian General to carry out operational maneuvers during any war.
Sagat Singh was born in a Rajput family in the village of Kusumdesar in Churu region of Bikaner State on 14 July 1919 to Brijlal Sagat Singh Rathore of Kusumdesar and a Bhati lady, Jadao Kanwar of Hadla.
Sagat Singh was the oldest of three brothers and six sisters, he completed his schooling from Walter Nobles High School at Bikaner in 1936.
Sagat Singh joined Dungar College at Bikaner but right after his intermediate exam in 1938, he was enrolled as a Naik in the Bikaner Ganga Risala.
Sagat Singh was appointed the unit's Military Transport Officer after having obtained an instructor grading in the Military Transport Course.
Sagat Singh later served as adjutant and then took command of a company.
Sagat Singh was the only State Forces officer to be selected.
In September 1944, Sagat Singh rejoined his battalion and was appointed adjutant.
Sagat Singh was selected to attend the Staff College, Quetta and joined the 12th War Staff course from May to November 1945.
In 1949, Sagat Singh was transferred to the Indian Army and joined the 3 Gorkha Rifles.
Sagat Singh was appointed General Staff Officer Grade 2 at Headquarters Delhi Area.
Sagat Singh served in the battalion for a year and-a-half in Bharatpur and in Dharamshala.
In February 1955, Sagat Singh was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed commanding officer of the second battalion 3rd Gorkha Rifles at Ferozepur.
Sagat Singh moved the battalion to its field area in Jammu and Kashmir in October 1955 and relinquished command in December to attend the senior officers course.
In September 1961, Sagat Singh was promoted to the rank of brigadier and given command of India's only parachute brigade, the elite 50th Parachute Brigade at Agra.
In late November 1961, Sagat Singh was summoned to the Military Operations directorate at Army HQ for the planning of the liberation of Goa.
On entering the capital, Sagat Singh ordered his troops to remove their steel helmets and wear the Parachute Regiment's maroon berets.
Sagat Singh was selected to attend the prestigious National Defence College.
Sagat Singh joined the 4th NDC course and graduated in January 1965.
Sagat Singh was then appointed Brigadier General Staff at HQ XI Corps at Jalandhar.
In December 1967, Sagat Singh was appointed GOC 101 Communication Zone in Shillong.
Sagat Singh immediately set out to build the formation's capabilities in intelligence gathering and counter-insurgency.
Lt Gen Sagat Singh conceptualised the Indian Army's first heliborne operation in the Battle of Sylhet He witnessed in Dhaka the signing of the surrender instrument by General Niazi.
Sagat Singh is the only other Corps commander besides Lt.
Sagat Singh died at the Army Hospital Research and Referral, New Delhi on 26 September 2001.
Sagat Singh married Kamla Kumari on 27 January 1947; Kamla was daughter of the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir, Rachpal Sagat Singh.
Sagat Singh was commissioned into the 1st battalion, The Garhwal Rifles, which was later mechanised and re-designated as 6th battalion the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.
Sagat Singh died while serving with the battalion in Poonch as a captain on 4 March 1976, in an accident while traveling in a jeep.
Sagat Singh's character was played by Jackie Shroff in the 2018 Indian Hindi-language film Paltan.