NEW DELHI: Pulwama attack martyr and CRPF assistant sub-inspector Mohan Lal was conferred the President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) on Republic Day eve this year for being the first to spot the suicide car moving alongside the CRPF convoy on February 14, 2019, and having fired to stop the car before it rammed into a bus in the convoy.
ASI Mohan Lal was among the 40 CRPF personnel killed in the suicide car blast. The attack had led the Indian Air Force to retaliate with cross-border airstrikes on Jaish e Mohammad facilities in Balakot deep inside Pakistan.
A total 946 police medals were announced on the eve of Republic Day 2021, which include 2 PPMG, 205 Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), 89 President's Police Medal (PPM) for Distinguished Service and 650 Police Medal (PM) for Meritorious Service.
CRPF bagged the highest number of police medals at 132, followed by UP police (97), BSF and J&K Police (71 each).
Among the 207 gallantry awards winners, 137 were awarded for action in Jammu & Kashmir, 24 in Left-wing extremism affected areas and 1 in the northeast region. As many as 69 personnel recognised for gallantry are from CRPF, 52 from J&K Police, 20 from BSF, 17 from Delhi Police, 13 from Maharashtra police and 8 each are from Chhattisgarh and UP police.
Of the 69 gallantry medals that went to CRPF, 61 were for operations in Jammu & Kashmir and 8 in Left-wing extremism-hit areas.
In fact, J&K police and CRPF together bagged 113 or nearly 55% of the total 207 gallantry medals awarded this Republic Day, for operations in J&K theatre.
CBI received 31 police medals for distinguished/meritorious service this R-Day, IB 34, RPF 16 and NIA 6.
The two PPMG, the highest category of police gallantry awards, announced on Monday have gone to Late Banua Oraon, ASI in Jharkhand Police who was martyred in June 2018 after being grievously injured in an encounter with the Maoists in Saraikela district of Jharkhand. The Maoists had to retreat in wake of the nearly three-hour long encounter.
CRPF ASI Mohan Lal, who was also conferred PPMG posthumously, was performing the duties of picket commander of the road opening party at Lethpora, Pulwama on February 14, 2019, when he noticed a civil car running alongside the convoy and trying to enter between the convoy vehicles. He sensed something suspicious and rushed to stop the suspicious vehicle. He signalled and chased the car to stop, but could not match the car’s speed. Ultimately, finding no other option, he fired at the suspicious car to stop, but the car rammed into a nearby running CRPF bus, and a huge blast took place. Lal was caught in the blast and attained martyrdom.