Hailing from Palampur, Capt Batra was instrumental in capturing positions 5140 and 4875 during the last week of June as company commander. Elder of the Batra twins, Vikram did his schooling from the local St Paul's High School before graduating from DAV College in Chandigarh.

In his last conversation with his father on June 30, subsequent to his success in the Kargil sector, Vikram was full of enthusiasm, recalled his father, G L Batra, who is principal of the senior secondary school at Paraur, near here.

Incidentally, N K Kalia and Vaibhav Kalia, father and brother of martyrs Lt Saurabh Kalia, were among the first ones to console the bereaved family as hundreds of locals gathered outside the residence of the Batrasin the heart of the city.

The body of Capt Vikram Batra is expected to reach here on Friday evening and the cremation would take place on Saturday with full military honours.