Vir Chakra (VrC)

On the night of 16 December 1971, 2nd Lieutenant Prabodh Chandra Bhardwaj, a platoon commander in a battalion of Parachute Regiment, formed part of the company, which was assigned the task of capturing an enemy position in the Ferozepore Sector. This position was held in strength by the enemy and protected by mines and obstacles. During the assault, his platoon came under the effective fire of an enemy machine gun sited in a bunker. 2nd Lieutenant Bhardwaj, with utter disregard for his safety, charged the bunker, lobbed a grenade inside and immediately thereafter rushing inside the bunker, bayoneted the gun crew and captured the medium machine gun. In this process he was injured by a bullet in the forehead. Undeterred, he pressed on with the assault and charged another machine gun bunker. Here again, he followed up his grenade attack with the bayonet and succeeded in capturing the second machine gun.

In this action, 2nd Lieutenant Bhardwaj displayed gallantry, determination and leadership of a high order.