Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, PVC (1 December 1924 – 18 November 1962) was an Indian Army officer and recipient of India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra.

Shaitan Singh was born on 1 December 1924 in a Rajasthani Rajput family of Bhati clan in Banasar village, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan.

To counter the increasing Chinese intrusions into disputed territory, then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru asked for strategies for dealing with them.

Due to the severe rise in public criticism against Chinese intrusions, The PM of India(Jawaharlal Nehru) implemented the "Forward Policy" against the advice of the army.

During the war, the 13th Battalion of Kumaon Regiment, Charlie ‘C’ company comprising 114 Ahirs and Other soldiers was positioned in Chusul sector, at a height of 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level,[7] the battalion under the command of Singh was holding a position at Rezang La, and the area was defended by five platoon posts.

As the last twenty survivors charged towards the post, the Indians jumped out of their trenches and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese soldiers.

[8] Chinese captured the five injured (who later escaped) and one man Captain Ramchander Yadav who had hidden Shaitan Singh's body within boulders came back to tell the story.

[citation needed] For his actions at the Battle of Rezang La, on 18 November 1962, Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

The official citation read: Major Shaitan Singh was commanding a company of an infantry battalion deployed at Rezang La in the Chusul sector at a height of about 16,000 feet.

On 18 November 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the company position to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked it in overwhelming strength in several successive waves.

While doing so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead his men, who, following his brave example fought gallantly and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.

When Major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him but they came under heavy machine-gun fire.

Major Shaitan Singh's supreme courage, leadership and exemplary devotion to duty inspired his company to fight almost to the last man.In 1980s, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), a Government of India enterprise under the aegis of the Ministry of Shipping, named fifteen of its crude oil tankers in honour of the PVC recipients.

His name is displayed near the amar jawan jyoti (Eternal Flame) and as relief mural on the circumference wall with the Param Vir Chakra awardees who attained martyrdom in J&K.

[15] In 1988, Major Singh's character was portrayed by Bollywood actor Pankaj Dheer on an episode of Param Vir Chakra TV Series which was aired on DD National.

[16] A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra by Amar Chitra Katha dedicated their 9th story written by Aparna Kapur and drawn by Sundarlal in 2015.

[20] Bollywood Actor Farhan Akhtar will perform the role of Maj Shaitan Singh on his upcoming Hindi Biographical movie 120 Bahadur.