Flight Lieutenant Satish Purshottam Aparajit was a member of the successful TransHimalayan Motor Expedition. The expedition drove through frozen wastes, ravine deserts at high altitude and over 15 mountain passes facing hostile winds lashing against the rocky terrain in sub-zero temperatures, avalanches and storms. On the 28th February, 1984, one of the vehicles of the expedition met with an accident and fell down a cliff of over 1,000 metres. Flt Lt Aparajit descended for rescue by using rappelling rope down a vertical rock face into the ravine covered with thick undergrowth to carry out search for the casualties. He was able to find one of the members who had suffered multiple fractures. After having given him mouth to mouth respiration, he quickly brought a doctor to him for rendering medical aid. Thereafter he brought up the wounded member of the team on his back most of the way. When he was climbing the last vertical rock, the anchor of the rope gave way and he slipped more than 100 feet but was lucky to survive. He held on to the wounded member of his team with great determination and brought him safely to the road head.

Flight Lieutenant Satish Purshottam Aparajit thus displayed indomitable courage, team spirit and sense of selfless service.