Maj Mukund Varadarajan of 44 Rashtriya Rifles led an operation against three terrorists at a Shopian village on 25 April 2014 and died of his wounds.
The outhouse at Qazipathri
On 25 April 2014, Major Mukund Varadarajan, a company commander with 44 Rashtriya Rifles, received word of three terrorists in a village in Shopian district. The group had attacked polling officials a day earlier. The Defence Ministry's 2014 announcement names the village as Qazipathri.
He placed a cordon and moved civilians out of the target house, then led the demolition team that brought it down. The terrorists shifted to an outhouse in the compound.
With his buddy, Sepoy Vikram, he crawled close to the outhouse and threw in a grenade, which killed one man. Automatic fire from another seriously wounded him. Bleeding heavily, he crawled on, fired and killed the second terrorist. He was evacuated but died of his injuries.
22 Rajput, on deputation to the Rashtriya Rifles
Varadarajan was born on 12 April 1983, and passed through the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, before he was commissioned in 2006 into the Rajput Regiment. He had served with a United Nations mission in Lebanon, and became a major in 2012.
The award was announced on 15 August 2014. His wife received it from President Pranab Mukherjee on 26 January 2015.
Official text from the Press Information Bureau
On 25 April 2014, Major Mukund Varadarajan, Company Commander, received information about the presence of three terrorists in village of Shupiyan district of Jammu and Kashmir. This group had targeted polling officials just a day prior. Major Mukund acted swiftly by deploying troops in an effective cordon and simultaneously evacuated civilians from the target house. Major Mukund personally led the demolition team and used the resources available to him in a critically short time period to bring down the target house. This aggressive action forced the terrorists to shift their position to an outhouse in the compound. Major Mukund along with his buddy Sepoy Vikram displaying raw courage crawled in proximity to the outhouse. The officer lobbed a grenade inside the cement outhouse killing one terrorist instantaneously. Another terrorist present in the outhouse opened a burst of auto fire thereby seriously injuring Major Mukund. Although bleeding profusely, unmindful of his grave injury the officer crawled ahead, fired and neutralized the second terrorist. The elimination of terrorist avenged the killing of the election officials within 24 hours and restored faith of public in democracy and the Indian Army. Major Mukund Varadarajan was evacuated but succumbed to his injuries. Maj Mukund Varadarajan exhibited most conspicuous bravery and exemplary leadership and made the supreme sacrifice while fighting with the terrorists.
Source: Press Information Bureau release. Reproduced as printed, including any errors in the original.