This year, the force accounts for almost 40 per cent of the total 215 gallantry medals conferred on personnel of police forces across the country. (Representational)Officers and personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police will form the largest group to receive gallantry medals this Independence Day, a year after abrogation of Article 370.
As many as 81 officers and personnel of J&K Police will be conferred Police Medals for Gallantry (PMG) for their valour in counter-terror operations in the newly carved Union territory.
This year, the force accounts for almost 40 per cent of the total 215 gallantry medals conferred on personnel of police forces across the country. The second largest share of the medals has gone to the CRPF — with 55 medals for its participation in counter-terror operations in Kashmir and anti-Maoist actions in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. In fact, 41 of these medals have come from Kashmir operations.
The two forces have bagged 123 gallantry medals for operations in J&K, and the Union territory accounts for 60 per cent of all gallantry medals.
CISF was the only force among the CAPFs to bag Shaurya Chakras. As many as four Shaurya Chakras went to the force. They were awarded posthumously to Sub-Inspector Mahaveer Prasad Godara, Head Constable Eranna Nayaka and Constables Mahendra Paswan and Satish Kushwaha.
While Godara has been awarded for sacrificing his life during a fire incident at Delhi’s CGO complex, the other three died during a blast at the ONGC Mumbai plant.
Two IPS officers from the NIA, DIG Vidhi Kumar Birdi and SP Tejinder Singh, who have been conferred PMG, are also from J&K. While Birdi has handled several counter-terror operations as DIG North Kashmir Range, Singh was SP of Pulwama and Budgam before he joined NIA.
CRPF Assistant Commandant Naresh Kumar has received his seventh PMG in a short span of four years in Jammu and Kashmir.
“An officer with sharp tactical acumen and indomitable courage, Naresh Kumar has led the CRPF Valley QAT in Srinagar which has a glorious history of continued success… This year alone, the Valley QAT has been adorned with more than 15 Gallantry medals,” a CRPF statement said.
The largest share of gallantry medals among state police forces has gone to Uttar Pradesh (23), followed by Delhi (16), Maharashtra (14) and Jharkhand (12). Among paramilitary forces, only BSF has bagged an award apart from the CRPF. The latter has till date received 2,036 gallantry medals, making it the largest recipient of such medals among central armed police forces. A Delhi Police officer, the late Mohan Chand Sharma, has been conferred a gallantry medal 12 years after his death in the Batla House encounter.
Apart from this, 631 Police Medals for Meritorious Service (PMMS) and 80 President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Service (PPMMS) have also been conferred. Among these, 32 medals for meritorious and distinguished service have gone to the CBI.