A Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Police constable, a Special Forces officer and an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot are among the 84 security personnel, whose names have been approved for top gallantry awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on the eve of the 74th Independence Day, according to a government release issued on Friday.
While head constable Abdul Rashid Kalas of J&K Police (JKP) has been posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra -- India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award -- for his outstanding bravery, nine security personnel has been conferred on the Shaurya Chakra for their valour.
Shaurya Chakra is the country’s third-highest peacetime gallantry award.
The Shaurya Chakra awardees are Lieutenant Colonel Krishan Singh Rawat; Major Anil Urs; Havildar Alok Kumar Dubey; Wing Commandeer Vishak Nair, JKP’s deputy inspector-general (DIG) Amit Kumar; Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) sub-inspector Mahaveer Prasad Godara (posthumous); CISF head constable Eranna Nayaka (posthumous); CISF constable Mahendra Kumar Paswan (posthumous); and CISF constable Satish Prasad Kushwaha (posthumous).
The other honours awarded are five Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 60 Sena Medals (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
Lieutenant Colonel Rawat, 1 Para (Special Forces), has been awarded Shaurya Chakra for an operation near the Line of Control (LoC), J&K.
{{/usCountry}}Lieutenant Colonel Rawat, 1 Para (Special Forces), has been awarded Shaurya Chakra for an operation near the Line of Control (LoC), J&K.
{{/usCountry}}Rawat and his team waited in ambush for 36 hours before they engaged a group of terrorist infiltrators. Four terrorists were killed in the operation.
The citation praises his resolute leadership and conspicuous gallantry.
Major Urs had also led an operation along the LoC in which five terrorist infiltrators were killed.
The citation says that he displayed “raw courage, marksmanship, and rare combat leadership, while ensuring the safety of his team”.
During a counter-terrorism operation in J&K, Havildar Dubey had killed a Category A++ terrorist from a close range. “His courageous action prevented the escape of the terrorists and eventually resulted in the elimination of all four terrorists,” says the citation.