New Delhi: A total of 824 central and state forces police personnel were awarded gallantry and other service medals on the eve of Independence Day.
The top honour of Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) has been given to three Punjab police officials, including slain SP Baljit Singh, who participated in the operation during the July 27 Gurdaspur attack in which three heavily armed militants were killed. Apart from Singh’s colleagues Inspector Balbir Singh and Head Constable Tara Singh, Meghalaya police DSP T C Chacko has also been honoured with the top medal.
A maximum of 64 Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) have been received by country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF, largely for operations in the Left Wing Extremism hit states. The central force has got maximum bravery awards among all police forces in the country for the last over six years now. Central Reserve Police Forces’ martyred Second-in-Command rank officer H K Jha also became the lone paramilitary officer to have been decorated with the ‘Shaurya Chakra’, a military medal, for displaying gallant action in Bihar last year to eliminate some top Maoist leaders.
Two Jammu and Kashmir police constables Mohd Shafi Sheikh and Reyaz Ahmed Lone have also been decorated with the ‘Shaurya Chakra’ posthumously for undertaking action against militants in the Valley. Police personnel who have been awarded the PMG include 18 from Jharkhand, 15 from Uttar Pradesh, 14 from Jharkhand and eight from Meghalaya among others.
The President’s police medal for distinguished service has been given to 76 officers and police medal for meritorious service has been accorded to 595 personnel, a Home Ministry statement said.
Apart from these, 44 personnel have been awarded the President’s correctional service medal for distinguished and meritorious service.
Thirty-three personnel from Jammu and Kashmir Police figured in the list of awardees for the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Meritorious Service and for Gallantry, which were announced today.
“On the occasion of Independence Day-2015, Centre has announced President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Police Medal for Meritorious Service and Police Medal for Gallantry. The awardees include 33 personnel from Jammu and Kashmir Police,” an official spokesman said. He said President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service has been awarded to IGP Security, Jagjit Kumar and DIG CID, Jammu, Ali Mohammad.
Police Medal for Meritorious Service has been awarded to Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat, Deputy Superintendent of Police PTWS Jammu Javed Iqbal, Inspector (Police Headquarters) Syed Sajad Hussain, Head Constable CID Technical Cell Jammu, Veer Ji Pandita and Inspector Vigilance Kashmir Mohamad Rafi Parray.
Head Constable IRP 18th Battalion Farooq Ahmad Magray, DSP SSG, Rashid Khan, SSP CID SB Hqrs, Jammu Virender Sharma, Sub-Inspector Technical Headquarter, Bashir Ahmad Magray, DSP CID Cell New Delhi Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, HC SOG Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Wani, HC JKAP 12th Battallion Rashpal Singh, DSP Headquarter, Srinagar Abdul Aziz Qadri, SDPO Hazratbal Zahid Ahmad Lone, HC JKAP 13th Battalion, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Tantray, DSP STC Sheeri Ravinder Pal Singh and DSP Welfare (PHQ) Madhu Bandral are the other awardees for the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
PTI