Second Lieutenant Puneet Nath Datt, AC (29 April 1973 – 20 July 1997) was an officer of the Indian Army's 11 Gorkha Rifles.

As a child and while in high school, his ambition was to join the Indian Army, and he pursued it by preparing for entry into the renowned National Defence Academy.

At the NDA, he had a brilliant record, and due to his proficiency in both academic & military subjects as well as outstanding officer-like qualities, he was awarded the coveted rank of 'Cadet Sergeant Major' for his 'Echo' squadron.

[2] He took part in an encounter that panned out as a cordon & search operation on specific information from a source cultivated by him regarding presence of foreign militants in a building in the Nowshera locality of Srinagar.

He then lobbed a grenade inside the building, killing the remaining militants and destroying a considerable amount of the enemy's arms and ammunition.