Vikrant Sahrawat

Biography

Sergeant Vikrant Sahrawat hailed from Bhadani village, Jhajjar district, Haryana. He joined the Indian Air Force in 1993 as a technical tradesman and later transitioned to aircrew operations with the Mi-17 squadron. Over a career spanning more than 20 years, he participated in numerous operations including the Kerala flood rescue efforts in 2018. On February 27, 2019 — the day after the Balakot airstrike — Sergeant Sahrawat was part of the six-member crew of Mi-17 V-5 helicopter ZP-5220, which took off at 1000 hours from Srinagar for an air support mission. Approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, the helicopter was struck by the IAF's own SPYDER air defence system in the operationally charged environment. The aircraft crashed near Garend Kalaan village in Budgam district, killing all six crew members. Sergeant Sahrawat was 35 years old. For his devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded a Mention-in-Despatches.