Vikas Bhardwaj

Biography

Sepoy Vikas Bhardwaj hailed from Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh. The son of army veteran Shri Rakesh Chand Bhardwaj and Smt Meera Devi, he was educated at Baijnath and joined the Indian Army in 2011 on his very first attempt, being recruited into the 6 Dogra battalion of the Dogra Regiment, an infantry regiment known for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours. On 4 June 2015, the 6 Dogra battalion was moving towards Imphal, the capital of Manipur, in a convoy of vehicles. As the convoy crossed the Chandel district, it was ambushed between Paralong and Charong villages by a joint group of militants from the NSCN(K), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup and Kanglapak Communist Party. The militants triggered a landmine and opened up with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy automatic fire from vantage points, causing extensive damage to the convoy. It was one of the deadliest militant attacks in the region, claiming the lives of 18 brave soldiers. Sepoy Vikas Bhardwaj was a brave and dedicated soldier who laid down his life in the service of the nation.