Vir Chakra (VrC)

As a company commander of 24 Punjab, Major Deepender Bhuchar was posted on the Line of Control in the North Jhelum Sub-sector in Jammu & Kashmir. He observed that his forward post was under intense mortar, artillery and Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) fire. Unmindful of enemy shelling and accurate direct fire, he rushed along the crawl trench to direct own retaliatory fire. Realising that the situation warranted effective retaliation, he personally manned the 106-mm recoilless gun in the open. At grave risk to his own life, he engaged and enemy bunker, completely destroying it and killing two enemy soldiers. But in the process he too received grievous splinter wounds. But he continued to man the recoilless gun and destroyed another HMG bunker by a direct hit. Though in a semi-conscious State due to heavy loss of blood, he continued to motivate his troops till his last breath.