emotion or mourning. Without pausing for a moment, Maj. Varadarajan lunged forward with his AK-47 and sprayed bullets at Altaf Wani, killing him instantly. In those final seconds, some of the militant's shots hit Maj. Varadarajan. ‘He walked out of the outhouse. He looked okay. We thought he was fine,’ recalls an officer in the cordon outside the house. ‘But then he suddenly collapsed.’Nothing about his demeanour betrayed that he had three gunshot wounds and was losing copious amounts of blood from all Then Maj. Varadarajan lost consciousness. Owing to the fact that he was gravely injured during the assault he succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated. For his brave actions during the operation, he was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award in 2014, for displaying valor beyond the call of duty. The citation by the Government of India during the declaration of the Ashok Chakra read: During the operation, before attaining martyrdom, Major Mukund displayed exemplary leadership skills, raw courage, planning and swift action, which culminated in the elimination of the three top ranked Hizbul Mujaheddin terrorists. Mukund is the fourth recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from the state of Tamil Nadu. On June 1, 2015, a bust of Major Mukund Varadarajan was unveiled in honor of his patriotism and sacrifice. It is displayed at the Officers Training Academy. References 1983 births 2014 deaths Recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (military decoration) Indian Army personnel People from Tamil Nadu Madras Christian College alumni Ashoka Chakra