Family
Father | M. L. Khetarpal (a retired Brigadier) |
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Mother | Maheshwari Khetarpal (a trained dietician) |
Siblings | Brother - Mukesh Khetarpal (working as a management consultant in Delhi) |
Career
Profession | Army Personnel | ||||||||||||
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Famous For | Battle of Basantar (Indo-Pakistan War of 1971) | ||||||||||||
Military Service |
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Awards, Honours, Achievements |
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Favourites
Bike Collection | He owned a Jawa manufactured by Jawa Moto |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal received the Param Vir Chakra for his bravery during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. | |
Arun Khetarpal was a student and athlete at Lawrence School, Sanawar. | |
He came from a family with a military background, and his father also served in the Indian Army. | |
After excelling at the National Defence Academy, Arun joined the Indian Military Academy in 1970. | |
During the Battle of Basantar, Arun led the assault against Pakistani tanks, destroying 10 of them despite being severely wounded. | |
He refused to abandon his tank, named Famagusta, during the battle. | |
Arun Khetarpal's tank was the last one operational in his squadron. | |
His heroic actions prevented a breakthrough by Pakistani forces, as acknowledged even by a retired Pakistan Army officer. | |
Arun had a passion for music and played the saxophone in the NDA band. | |
A biographical film titled 'Ekkis' reportedly featuring Arun Khetarpal's story is expected to be made in 2024. |