Indian Navy

R P Bhatla is an AMIE (India) Engineer in Civil Engineering. He retired in 1994 as Deputy General Manager from Engineers India Ltd. He continued to work as General Manager, Triune Projects Ltd., General Manager Enron India, General Manager, PLL/Simon Carves India Ltd, and Advisor L&amp\;T Faridabad.

Editor’s note: This is the third of several stories related to the life of the Bhatla family before and after the Partition of India in 1947. The first story is available here.

When India became independent in August 1947, the lives of the entire Bhatla brotherhood of about 25 families at Kot Khan Village in Jhang district, Pakistan were destroyed. All of us were forced to move and become refugees in India, where we became scattered in different places. 

Editor's note: The story of the family's move is available here.

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This list of those who died is taken from Vice Admiral G M Hiranandani (Retd.) Transition to Triumph: Indian Navy 1965: 1975, available at http://indiannavy.nic.in/book/battle-casualties-indo-pakistan-war-1971?page=0,0

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for Mahendra Nath Mulla.

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for U C Pandey.

So far, we have not received any information about him.

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for Mukadavil Ommen Ommen.

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From http://twdi.in/node/2948 The War Decorated India Trust

Birth: 01 Jul 1925
Died: 09 Dec 1971

Citation for award of Vir Chakra

Commander Ommen Mukadavil Ommen was engineer officer of the INS Khukri, which sank in the Arabian Sea. On 9 December 1971, while carrying out an anti submarine hunt, the Khukri was hit by a torpedo. On realising the danger to his men, Commander Ommen went below to get his men to safety. In the meantime, the ship was hit by another torpedo. Despite the fact that the chances of his survival were getting lass every second, he continued to help his men to safety and in so doing made the supreme sacrifice.

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for Joginder Krishan Suri.

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From http://twdi.in/node/4657 The War Decorated India Trust

No photo available

Birth: 01 Jul 1925
Died: 09 Dec 1971

Citation for award of Vir Chakra

Lieutenant Commander Joginder Krishan Suri was second in Command of INS Khukri, which sank in the Arabian Sea after a Pakistani submarine attack. On 9 December, 1971, when his ship was hit by enemy torpedoes, Lieutenant Commander Suri realizing the danger to his men, rushed and cut all the life saving floats and rafts and threw them in the sea. Despite the fact that the chances of his survival were getting less every second, he continued to guide his men to safety and managed to save a large number of them. in so doing he made the supreme sacrifice.

Throughout, Lieutenant Commander Suri displayed courage and devotion to duty of a high order.

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for Prabhat Kumar.

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From The War Dead India Trust

Birth: 03 Jul 1937
Died: 09 Dec 1971

Citation for award of Vir Chakra

Lieutenant Commander Prabhat Kumar was the electrical officer of the INS Khukri, which sank in the Arabian Sea after a Pakistani submarine attack. On 9 December 1971, whilst carrying out an antisubmarine hunt, INS Khukri was hit by a torpedo. Realising the danger to his men, Lieutenant Commander Prabhat Kumar went below to get his men to safety. In the meantime, the ship was hit by another torpedo. Despite the fact that the chances of his survival were getting less every second, he continued to help his men to safety and in so doing made the supreme sacrifice.

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for Rajat Kumar Sen.

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Lieutenant Commander Rajat Kumar Sen. Date.

Name: Rajat Kumar Sen
Service: Navy
Unit/Corps: 
Rank: Lieutanant Commander
Service Nunber:  
Born: 
Commissioned: not available
Recorded date of death: 09 December 1971

Citation for Vir Chakra

Editor's note: This is an effort to remember the crew members of the INS Khukri. On 9 December 1971, the INS Khukri sank after it was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. The names of the 176 sailors and 18 officers who died are recorded below\; there were 67 survivors.

We invite their family members, friends, colleagues and others who knew them to send us their recollections about the martyrs. There will be a separate page for each person of the 194 INS Khukri martyrs. Please send all materials to indiaofthepast@gmail.com. This is an ongoing effort, and information will be added as it becomes available to us.

This page is for Nandu Bhai.

So far, we have not received any information about him.