At least 89 other personnel from the force have been awarded Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG).
Two CRPF men from Kashmir who laid down their lives in the line of duty have been bestowed the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) – the country’s top police gallantry medal. Constable Sharief-ud-din Ganaie and Head Constable Mohd Tafail of the CRPF were bestowed the PPMG posthumously even as 89 other personnel from the force have been awarded Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) for undertaking daredevil action in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir and anti-Maoist operations in various states.
This is the highest ever gallantry medals tally for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) till date, a senior official said.
The CRPF was followed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police that has been accorded 37 PMsG along with the Odisha Police (11), Border Security Force (10), Maharashtra Police (8), Chhattisgarh Police (6), among others. A total of 177 PMsG have been awarded this time, a government release said.
“With counter-insurgency and militancy operations stepped up in the Kashmir Valley, the maximum number of gallantry medals have come in this theater for the forces. These operations are jointly conducted by the CRPF, the J&K Police and its Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Army,” a senior official said.
As per the release issued by the Union Home Ministry, a total of 675 meritorious service medals and 88 distinguished service medals have been accorded to the police personnel this time.