President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday awarded Vir Chakra to the 2019 Balakot surgical strike hero, Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, at an event at the Rashtrapathi Bhawan here.
Varthaman is best remembered for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 jet during a dogfight over the Line of Control (LoC) on Feb 27, 2019.
Vir Chakra, which was handed to him, is India’s third highest wartime gallantry award.
India found a new national hero in Abhinandan in 2019.
Amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan, Abhinandan Varthaman was taken into custody after his MiG-21 jet was downed during an engagement along the Line of Control (LoC).
Pakistan later released him.
