Shaitan Singh Major Shaitan Singh was an Indian soldier , who was awarded Param Vir Chakra , the highest wartime gallantry medal , posthumously , for his leadership and courage during the Sino - Indian War of 1962 . Background . Shaitan Singh was born on December 1 , 1924 at Jodhpur in Rajasthan . His father was Lt Col Hem Singh Bhati . Military action . The ' C ' Company of the battalion , led by Singh , held this crucial position at Rezang La , at a height of 5000 metres . The company area was defended by three platoon positions and the surrounding terrain isolated it from the rest of the battalion . The expected Chinese attack on Rezang La came on November 18 in the morning . It was the end of a very cold winter night , with light snow falling . The icy winds howling through Rezang La were biting and benumbing . More than the thin air and cold , the location of Rezang La had a more serious drawback . It was crested to Indian artillery because of an intervening feature , which meant that they had to make without the protective comfort of the big guns . In the dim light of the morning , the Chinese were seen advancing through nullahs to attack No . 7 and No . 8 platoon positions . The Indian Army troops fell on their prepared positions to face the Chinese offensive . At 0500 hours when the visibility improved , both platoons opened up on the advancing Chinese with rifles , light machine guns , grenades and mortars . Indian artillery could , however , not be used . The nullahs were littered with dead bodies . The survivors took position behind boulders and the dead bodies . The Chinese , though they failed the first frontal attack , were not discouraged . They subjected the Indian positions to intense artillery and mortar fire at about 0540 hours . Soon about 350 Chinese troops commenced advance through the nullahs . This time , No . 9 Platoon , which held fire till the enemy was within 90 metres opened up with all weapons in their possession . Within minutes , the nullahs were again full of dead bodies , mainly of the Chinese . Unsuccessful in frontal attack , the enemy , approximately 400 strong , then attacked from the rear of the company position . They simultaneously opened intense medium machine gun fire on No . 8 Platoon . This attack was contained at the barbed wire fencing of the post . The Chinese then resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling . An assault group of 120 Chinese also charged No . 7 Platoon position from the rear . However , Indian Army 3 - inch mortar killed many of them . When 20 survivors charged the post , about a dozen Kumaonis rushed out of their trenches to engage them in a hand - to - hand combat . Meanwhile , the Chinese brought up fresh reinforcements . The encirclement of No . 7 Platoon was now complete . The platoon , however , fought valiantly till there was no survivor . No . 8 Platoon also fought bravely to the last round . Singh displayed exemplary leadership and courage in the battle of Rezang La . By all accounts , he led his troops most admirably . Unmindful of his personal safety he moved from one platoon post to another and encouraged his men to fight . While moving among the posts he was seriously wounded , by a sniping Chinese MMG . But he continued to fight along with his men . While he was being evacuated by two of his comrades , the Chinese brought heavy machine gun fire on them . Singh sensed danger to their lives and ordered them to leave him . They placed him behind a boulder on the slopes of a hill , where he died . The Chinese announced a unilateral ceasefire on November 21 , 1962 . In this action , 109 Kumaonis out of a total of 123 were killed . Of the 14 survivors , 9 were severely injured . The Chinese suffered more than a thousand casualties . After the war was over , the body of Singh was found at the same place , dead from the bullet wound and the freezing cold . It was flown to Jodhpur and cremated with full military honours . Singh was awarded Param Vir Chakra , the highest wartime gallantry medal , posthumously , for his leadership and devotion to duty . Citation . The citation for the Param Vir Chakra awarded to him reads :