Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla was born on the 15th of May 1926 and he hailed from Gorakhpur in UP. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1st May 1948. In February 1971, he joined INS Khukri and took over as Captain of the ship. During the Indo-Pak war Captain Mahendra was commanding a task force of two ships in the Western Fleet.
| Place of Birth | Gorakhpur, UP |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | INS Khukri |
| Award | Maha Vir Chakra |
| Date of Martyrdom | 9th December 1971 |
On 9th December 1971, INS Khukri was attacked by the Pakistani submarine PNS Hangoor which fired torpedoes at it, causing devastating damage. There were two massive explosions inside the Khukri and the ship went dark. It lost all power and began to tilt steeply to its right (Starboard) but Captain Mahendra helped as many survivors to escape. INS Khukri sank within minutes, taking 176 sailors and 18 officers, and Captain Mahendra was among the martyrs.
Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla was given the Indian Navy’s first and nation’s second highest gallantry award, “Maha Vir Chakra” posthumously.
