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 for being the first to spot the explosives-laden car moving alongside the CRPF convoy on February 14, 2019 and having fired to stop the vehicle before it rammed into a bus in the convoy. Mohan Lal was among the 40 CRPF personnel killed in the suicide terror attack.
The attack had led the Indian Air Force to retaliate with crossborder air strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammad facilities in Balakot deep inside Pakistan. A total 946 police medals were announced on the eve of Republic Day, 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 J&K, 24 in Left-wing extremism-affected areas and one in the northeast. 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 J&K and 8 in Leftwing extremism-hit areas. In fact, J&K police and CRPF together bagged 113 or nearly 55% of the total 207 gallantry medals awarded this R-Day, for operations in J&K theatre.
The CBI received 31 police medals for distinguished/meritorious service, IB 34, RPF 16 and NIA 6. The second PPMG, the highest category of police gallantry awards, went posthumously to Banua Oraon, ASI in Jharkhand police, who succumbed to injuries suffered during an encounter with Maoists in Seraikella district in June 2018. The Maoists had to retreat in wake of the nearly three-hour long encounter.
Mohan Lal was performing the duties of picket commander of a road opening party at Lethpora, Pulwama on February 14, 2019 when he noticed a car moving alongside the convoy and trying to enter between the convoy vehicles. Sensing something suspicious, he signalled and chased the car to stop before firing at it. The car rammed into a CRPF bus of the convoy, leading to a huge explosion.