4 CRPF braves martyred in anti-naxal op awarded Kirti Chakras posthumously

President Droupadi Murmu approved 76 gallantry awards for paramilitary and armed forces personnel on the eve of the 77th Independence Day.

On the eve of the 77th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu approved 76 gallantry awards for paramilitary and armed forces personnel including Kirti Chakras for four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed in action during an anti-naxal operation in Chhattisgarh two years ago, the defence ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The four CRPF personnel posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra put their lives on the line, and not only helped save their colleagues but also neutralised the Naxals. (File)

The four CRPF personnel posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry medal, are inspector Dilip Kumar Das, head constable Raj Kumar Yadava, constable Bablu Rabha and constable Sambhu Roy.

The CRPF personnel were part of a counter attack against Naxals on April 3, 2021, in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, where Naxals had opened heavy fire and simultaneously carried out a series of IED (improvised explosive device) blasts to inflict maximum casualties on the security personnel, officials aware of the matter said.

According to CRPF, the personnel put their lives on the line, and not only helped save their colleagues but also neutralised the Naxals. The four were the first to fortify the defences for their colleagues, and their brave actions forced the Naxals to mount a retreat from their vantage point.

Twenty-two CRPF men were killed and 31 injured in the April 2021 naxal attack.

The list of gallantry awardees also includes 11 Shaurya Chakras (including five posthumous), two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 52 Sena Medals (Gallantry), three Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and four Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), the statement said.

The Shaurya Chakra awardees include nine soldiers, a constable from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and a constable from the CRPF. The Shaurya Chakra in India’s third-highest peacetime gallantry medal.

The Shaurya Chakra awardees are Major Vijay Verma, Major Vikas Bhambhu (Posthumous), Major Mustafa Bohara (Posthumous), Major Sachin Negi, Major Rajendra Prasad, Major Ravinder Singh Rawat, Havildar Vivek Singh Tomar (Posthumous), Naik Bhim Singh, Rifleman Kulbushan Manta (Posthumous), JKP Constable Saifullah Qadri (Posthumous) and CRPF Constable Gamit Mukesh Kumar.

The President has also approved 30 Mention-in-Despatches to the army, including one for army dog Madhu (Posthumous), for their significant contributions in different military operations.