Srinagar: “Due recognition of valour and sacrifices of Jammu and Kashmir Police officers and personnel,” this was stated by the Director General of Police J&K, Dilbag Singh, on the announcement of service and gallantry medals by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Administration of Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir on the occasion of 75th Independence Day.
“The DGP expressed his gratitude to Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of J&K Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla for due recognition of valour and sacrifices of Jammu and Kashmir officers/personnel for awarding the highest ever number of Service and Gallantry medals on the eve of 75th Independence Day. He has congratulated the awardees and J&K Police Pariwar for this unprecedented feat,” reads a police press release.
“DGP has paid rich tributes to the fallen heroes, ASI Babu Ram, Constable Mohd Altaf Hussain and SPO Shahbaz Ahmad of JKP who brought honour and glory to the force in their sacrifice and service to the nation for which Ministry of Defence has awarded Country’s highest peacetime honour, Ashok Chakra to Martyr ASI Babu Ram who made supreme sacrifice during an assault against holed up terrorists at Pantha Chowk last year, Kirti Chakra to martyr Constable Mohd. Altaf Hussain who sacrificed his life while saving the life of a Protected Person who was attacked by terrorists in Ganderbal and Shauriya Chakra to martyr SPO Shahbaz Ahmad who has been awarded for his gallant action against terrorists in an counter-terrorist operation at Khrew, Awantipora last year,” it reads.
“The DGP has conveyed his congratulations to the awardees of other State Police Forces and CAPFs especially the ones working shoulder to shoulder with JKP on this occasion,” it said.
The press release further said: “As has been reported earlier, J&K Police has been bestowed highest number of 275 service, and gallantry medals announced by Ministry of Home Affairs on this Independence Day. The medals include 01 Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) out of 02 in the country, 256 Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) out of total 628 medals in the country, 02 for Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS), & 16 Police Medal for Meritorious Medals (PMMS).”
“The Police personnel who have been awarded Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) are SP Pran Nath Pandith, DySp Syed Sajad Hussain. The Police personnel who have been awarded Police Medal for Meritorious Medals (PMMS) are SSP Shiv Kumar Sharma, SSP Javid Hassan Bhat, SSP Mohd Sharief Chouhan, SSP Amit Bhasin, SSP Tanveer Jeelani, SP Smt Rajni Sharma, DySp Jeetan Ji Mattoo, Inspector Taran Singh, Inspector Bandeshwar Singh Manhas, Inspector Amit Kumar Koul, Sub Inspector Prem Krishan Kathua, Sub Inspector Manzoor Ahmad Khan, ASI Gajinder Singh, HC Manmohan Ganjoo, SgCt Anil Kumar, and SgCt Nayeem Nadeem Bhat,” it added.
Meanwhile, country’s third-highest gallantry medal in peacetime, Shaurya Chakra, has been awarded to six Army personnel including posthumously to one “for displaying bravery in anti-terror operations” in Jammu and Kashmir last year”.
The recipients of the prestigious award are Major Arun Kumar Pandey, Major Ravi Kumar Chaudhary, Captain Ashutosh Kumar (posthumously), Captain Vikas Khatri, Rifleman Mukesh Kumar and Sepoy Neeraj Ahlawat, according to the Indian Army.
It said four Army personnel were conferred the Bar to Sena medal while 116 others were named for the Sena medal on the eve of Independence Day.
According to the Army, Major Pandey of the 44th battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles “led an anti-terror operation in a village in Jammu and Kashmir on June 9 and 10 last year and showed unparalleled courage while neutralising two hardcore terrorists”.
Major Chaudhary of 55th battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles “exhibited exceptional resoluteness and fortitude in leading four successful operations by his unit resulting in the elimination of 13 terrorists,” the Army said.
An operation led by him on June 03 last year was specifically mentioned in his citation.
Captain Kumar of 18th battalion of the Madras Regiment has been conferred the Shaurya Chakra award posthumously for displaying “indomitable courage and professional acumen of highest order in saving the life of one of his fellow soldier and eliminating a hardcore terrorist in an operation on November 8 last year.”
Captain Vikas Khatri from the 16th battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles was deployed as part of a special task of “area domination patrol” in Jammu and Kashmir under the challenging terrain at the height of 12,000 feet on the nights of December 12 and 13 last year.
The Army said “he eliminated one foreign terrorist despite heavy retaliation, showing raw courage and bravery.”
Rifleman Kumar from the ninth battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles was part of a cordon and search operation launched on the night of July 16 “based on specific intelligence inputs of the likely presence of terrorists in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Kumar physically wrestled with the terrorist, who was shocked by the ferocity of the assault. He kept attacking the terrorist with the butt of his weapon in spite of sustaining a gunshot wound,” the Army said.
“Unmindful of his injuries, Rifleman Mukesh Kumar neutralised the terrorist from point-blank range ensuring no injuries to own troops or the civilians,” it added.
Sepoy Ahlawat has been conferred the Shaurya Chakra award for showing “exceptional gallantry beyond the call of duty and nerves of steel during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir on June 20 last year,” the Army said.
“One hardcore Pakistani terrorist was eliminated in the operation,” it said.
Detailing about the incident, the Army said a group of terrorists was firing indiscriminately towards the inner cordon of the troops in a bid to escape, taking cover of civilians in the area as human shields.
It said Ahlawat “waited for an opportune moment and fired accurately on the fleeing terrorists after exercising extreme restraint and displaying composure in the face of a rapidly escalating situation.
“One of the terrorists was eliminated on the spot. The second terrorist opened heavy fire towards Sepoy Ahlawat at close range. Despite the grave danger, he showed indomitable courage to hold onto his position and continued engaging the second terrorist, injuring him and damaging his sophisticated M-4 Assault Rifle,” it said.
“The gallant actions of Ahlawat led to the elimination of a Pakistani terrorist,” the Army said.
