# Mukund Varadarajan

Mukund Varadarajan, AC (12 April 1983 – 25 April 2014) was an Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Ashoka Chakra. Mukund, a commissioned officer in the Indian Army's Rajput Regiment, was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra for his actions during a counterterrorism operation while on deputation to the 44th Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.
On 31 October 2024, during the occasion of Diwali, his biographical film in Tamil, Amaran, was released and became a critical and commercial success.

## Early life and education

Mukund Varadarajan was born on 12 April 1983 to a Tamil Brahmin family to R Varadarajan and Geetha Varadarajan in his native Paruthipattu Village, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Mukund and his family moved to Tambaram after his father got job in a Public Sector Bank. His grandfather Raghavachari and two of his uncles also served in the army and this motivated him to join the Armed Forces.
Mukund received his Bachelor of Commerce From Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya at Kanchipuram and a diploma in journalism from the Madras Christian College, Chennai.
Mukund has two sisters, Swetha and Nithya. He married his longtime-girlfriend and collegemate Indhu Rebecca Varghese on 28 August 2009. The couple's daughter, Arshea Mukund, was born on 17 March 2011.

## Army Career

Mukund was an alumnus of Officers Training Academy, and after graduating, he received a short service commission as a Lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment (22 Rajput) on 18 March 2006. On 18 March 2006, he was granted a regular commission with the rank of lieutenant, and received an ante-dated promotion to Captain from 18 October 2008. He served at the Infantry School in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh and was part of a United Nations Mission in Lebanon. He was promoted to Major on 18 October 2012 and was deputed to the 44th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles that December and posted in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.

### Qazipathri operation

On 25 April 2014, Mukund led a cordon and search operation in a village in South Kashmir, based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of militants. During the operation, his team came under heavy fire. Mukund quickly responded, aware that the cover of darkness could allow the militants to escape. Since the number of civilians inside the house was unclear, the use of heavy-caliber weapons was not an option. Along with Sepoy Vikram Singh, Mukund crawled through the orchard in front of the house, avoiding gunfire. After successfully crossing the orchard, they entered the house, where they were met with intense firing, and Mukund was grazed by a bullet on his forearm. The two soldiers swiftly retaliated, killing one of the militants. Mukund identified that the militant commander they were searching for was not among the dead. The remaining two militants, including a senior commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, attempted to escape using grenade explosions. Mukund and Singh took cover to avoid injury. In the chaos, Mukund recognized the senior commander among the fleeing militants as they made their way to the nearby outhouse.
Vikram Singh and his comrade approached the cement outhouse, believing that a grenade deployed moments earlier had neutralized the threat inside. However, as they stormed the structure, a sudden volley of gunfire hit Vikram. It became clear that while the grenade had indeed killed one individual, another remained. The commander, who had fled from the debris of a nearby residence, had not been alone. The second individual had been killed by the grenade, but the commander, Asif Wani, survived.
As the rounds of fire were exchanged, Wani, shielded by a row of logs inside the outhouse, continued to fire from his confined position. Vikram Singh, having taken two bullets—one to the neck and another to the jaw—collapsed. His comrade, Mukund, understood the severity of the wounds and realized that Vikram's life was at risk. Despite the gravity of the situation, there was no time for hesitation. Mukund immediately advanced, firing his AK-47 at Asif Wani, fatally wounding him.
Though some of Asif Wani's shots hit Mukund in the process, he initially appeared unharmed as he emerged from the outhouse. An officer in the surrounding cordon noted, "He looked okay. We thought he was fine." But shortly after, Mukund collapsed, having sustained three gunshot wounds. He lost consciousness and, despite efforts to evacuate him, succumbed to his injuries.
For his 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.

### Dates of ranks

| Rank | Service | Rank dates |
| Lieutenant | Indian Army | 18 March 2006 |
| Captain | Indian Army | 18 October 2008 |
| Major | Indian Army | 18 October 2012 |

## Legacy

A bust of Major Mukund was unveiled by his wife Indu Varghese at Rajput Regiment. Mukund's family also unveiled a statue of him at Officers Training Academy, Chennai.
The 2015 Malayalam-language anti-war film Picket 43 was dedicated as a tribute to Major Varadarajan, who had been assisting the film crew during production. However, he was killed in combat with militants in the Shopian area while filming was underway in Jammu and Kashmir.

## Biopic

In 2024, a Tamil-language film, Amaran, was released, based on Mukund's life and the 44 Rashtriya Rifles' fight against terrorism. Sivakarthikeyan portrayed Major Mukund Varadarajan and his wife Indu Rebecca Varghese was played by Sai Pallavi.