It also the highest number of 257 other gallantry medals including one President’s Police Medal for Gallantry
By Bunty Mahajan
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel made history on the eve of Independence Day on Saturday when they bagged Ashok, Kirti and Shaurya Chakras – all the three peace time gallantry medals together.
They also received 257 other medals for gallantry including one President’s Police Medal for Gallantry and 256 Police Medals for Gallantry.
Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, besides Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra was awarded posthumously to J&K Police’s Assistant Sub Inspector Babu Ram, Contable Altaf Hussain Bhat and Special Police Officer Shahbaz Ahmad, respectively.
While ASI Babu Ram has been awarded Ashok Chakra for making the supreme sacrifice during an assault against holed-up terrorists in Panthachowk last year, constable Altaf was given Kirti Chakra for sacrificing his life while saving the life of a protected person who was attacked by terrorists in Ganderbal. SPO Shahbaz has been awarded Shaurya Chakra for his gallant action against terrorists in a counter-terrorist operation in Khrew Awantipora last year.
Jammu Kashmir’s Lt Governor Manoj Sinha commended the Jammu and Kashmir Police for its being on the forefront of fight against terrorism, saying that he was proud of the bravery and sacrifices made by Jammu and Kashmir Police in defending the sovereignty of the country. “Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra and 257 police gallantry medals to JKP at the forefront of fight against terrorism is commendable,’’ he tweeted.
“DGP Dilbag Singh salutes fallen heroes ASI Babu Ram, Const Altaf and SPO Shahbaz of JKP who bring honour and glory to the force in their sacrifice and service to the nation for which the Ministry of Defence has awarded the country”s highest peacetime honours,” J&K Police wrote on its official Twitter handle.
Meanwhile, a Jammu and Kashmir Police Sub Inspector Amardeep was awarded the highest President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, while CRPF head constable Kale Sunil Dattatraya who died fighting terrorists in Pulwama last year got it posthumously.
Dattatraya had made the supreme sacrifice during a terror attack on June 23 last year in Pulwama district wherein, two terrorists – Aijaz Ahmad Gani of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Owais Ahmad of Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed.
Of the 628 Police Medal for Gallantry announced on Saturday, 398 police personnel were given this for their gallant action in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by 155 in Maoist affected areas and 27 in the North-East region. Apart from this, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM) were also awarded to 88 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PM) to 662.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police got the highest number of 257 gallantry medals, followed by CRPF (151), Odisha Police (67), Maharshtra Police (25), ITBP (23) and Chattisgarh Police (21).
Apart from this, J&K Police also got two President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Services and 16 Police Medals for Meritorious Service.
While DIG Jammu Atul Kumar Goel and SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli got the Ist Bar to Police Medal for Gallantry, former SSP Traffic Shiv Kumar Sharma and ASP Katra Amit Bhasin got Police Medal for Meritorious Service. DySP Mohan Sharma was awarded Police Medal for Gallantry.
Twenty-three Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) personnel were also awarded police medal for gallantry including 20 for bravery during skirmishes in Eastern Ladakh in May-June 2020.
Of them, eight ITBP personnel have been awarded the PMG for the gallant act, meticulous planning and tactical insightfulness and for defending the motherland in Galwan Nalla on June 15, 2020; while six personnel have been awarded PMG for gallant action during a violent face-off on May 18, 2020 in Finger IV area and six personnel have been given PMG for their gallant action near Hot Springs in Ladakh on May 18, 2020.
The remaining medals went to other states, UTs and Central Armed Police Forces.