Republic Day: CRPF awarded highest number of gallantry medals

New Delhi: The CRPF has been awarded the highest number of police gallantry medals, 21, among all central and state police forces including two defence ministry issued Shaurya Chakras on the eve of the 76th Republic Day on Saturday.

A total of 95 bravery medals have been awarded to the personnel of state and central police forces, fire service, home guard and civil defence and correctional services through an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Ministry of Defence also announced two Shaurya Chakras for the CoBRA commandos of the force -- Deputy Commandant Vikrant Kumar and Inspector Jeffrey Hmingchullo -- for undertaking a daring operations against Maoists in Jharkhand during 2023.

As per their citation, these personnel from the 203 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) displayed "exceptional" bravery during an anti-Naxal operation that took place on April 2, 203 in Chatra district of the state leading to the killing of five "top" Maoists and recovery of a cache of weapons and ammunition.

The Shaurya Chakra is the third highest peacetime military gallantry medal.

A senior officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that out of the 19 police medals for gallantry (GM), 11 are for operations undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir, seven for acts of bravery in anti-Maoist operations and one for courage displayed during an operation in the northeast.

The awardees include second-in-command rank officer Narender Yadav, and Assistant Commandants Amit Kumar and Vinay Kumar who have been conferred with the 1st bar to GM (gallantry medal awarded for the second time).

Late Constable Sunil Kumar Pandey has been named for the medal posthumously.

The 186th battalion jawan laid down his life in September 2023 in Assam while stopping bike-borne smugglers who trafficked contraband from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh. The assailants attacked him with a knife.

After the CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, the highest number of medals went to Uttar Pradesh (17), Jammu and Kashmir (15), Chhattisgarh (11) and Border Security Force (5).

Three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed under the United Nations (UN) flag in Congo have also been honoured with the gallantry medal.

Inspector Jitu Deori, Constable Ratan Kumar Yogi and Constable Awdhesh Kumar Yadav displayed "exemplary courage" in rescuing 38 unarmed UN staff members from a violent mob that attacked their camp in Butembo on July 26, 2022.

The BSF is primarily tasked with guarding Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of other security duties.

The CRPF, with about 3.25 lakh personnel, is the mainstay for internal security duties in the country.