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Govt names 650 for police medals
Govt names 650 police personnel for police medals in recognition of their gallant and distinguished performance, reports Aloke Tikku.
The government on Thursday named 650 security personnel - 10 of them posthumously - from across the country for police medals in recognition of their gallant and distinguished performance.
The President's Police Medals for Gallantry have been awarded to 13 personnel, President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service to 81 personnel, Police Medals for Gallantry to 97 personnel and Police Medals for Meritorious Service to 459 personnel.
Among them are CRPF personnel who foiled a fidayeen attack at Leeward Hotel that was being used as the 65th Battalion headquarters in Srinagar in July 2004. Constables R Aji Kumar and Rajendra Kumar, who neutralised the heavily armed fidayeen, along with their colleagues, have been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.
Aji Kumar died of injuries sustained in the attack; Rajendra lived to tell the story of his bravery. Two others, Manjit Singh and Puran Singh, have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry.
Nitish Kumar, SSP Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, has been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry for leading an operation against five Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists and rescuing civilians held by them.
The five terrorists were neutralized in the operation. Officials said the 1999 batch IPS officer was one of the few offers to have been awarded the Army Chief’s Commendation Medal for bringing about a semblance of normalcy in militancy-infested Handwara.
