Ashok Chakra for Mukund Varadarajan, Neeraj Kumar who died fighting terrorists in J&K
New Delhi: Major Mukund Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, the two Army personnel who laid down their lives combating militants in Kashmir Valley, were on Monday awarded posthumously the highest peacetime military honour, the Ashok Chakra, by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Both the army men laid down their lives while battling groups of militants in separate operations in Shopian and Kupwara districts of Kashmir respectively.
31-year-old Major Varadarajan of the Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles died in April last year, while fighting terrorists in Shopian. The valiant officer killed three terrorists before succumbing to injuries.
The two soldiers showed ‘exemplary courage’ in tackling terrorists in the valley. The awards were received by their wives at the 66th Republic Day celebrations.
While leading a search operation in general area Gurdaji of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on August 24, 2014, Naik Neeraj Singh came under heavy fire from terrorists.
He shot dead one of the terrorists and also rescued an injured soldier. Singh refused to be evacuated till he fell unconscious and was later evacuated. However, he succumbed to injuries.
Among others awarded the Shaurya Chakra are Wing Commander Huvey Upadhyaya of the Indian Air Force, who flew his helicopter in extreme weather conditions in Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield.
