Jammu and Kashmir Police officers who killed militants in the Valley without causing harm to civilians, a CRPF head constable who died fighting militants in Kashmir, an SSB constable who continued to fire at Maoists in Jharkhand’s Dumka despite being shot, and a BSF constable who confronted a Bangladeshi cattle smuggler in West Bengal.
These are some of the standout examples of bravery this year.
The majority of the gallantry awards have once again been received by JK Police (115 medals), followed by Police (10), and Odisha Police (9). Among the Central Armed Police Forces, CRPF won 30 gallantry medals, while ITBP and SSB each received three awards, and BSF personnel were honored with two.
In terms of specific regions, JK received 134 gallantry awards, followed by 47 PMGs awarded to personnel operating in the LWE theatre. One PMG was awarded for action in the Northeast.
According to JK Police, three of its operations in 2019-20 in Budgam, Baramulla, and Pulwama stood out for the bravery shown by its officers in killing six militants from different terror groups. The most notable of these operations occurred in Sopore, Baramulla, where a team comprising Constables Aijaz Ahmed Dar, Nazir Ahmed Lone, and Jahangir Hussain Magray killed two “A-category Pakistani LeT terrorists” along with a local operative.
The citation for the three officers stated that they approached a two-story building where the militants were hiding and returned fire when the militants suddenly opened fire in an attempt to escape.
In another operation in Sopore in July 2020, CRPF Head Constable Deep Chand Verma died fighting militants holed up in a mosque. As the militants began firing while the CRPF team was setting up a position, Verma “took position behind a chinar tree and returned fire,” according to his citation.
The two PMGs won by BSF were both for confronting cattle smugglers in the eastern theatre. Constable Anand Oraon was attacked by smugglers near the Bangladesh border in West Bengal when he challenged them after noticing movement of a dozen cattle at night. According to BSF, one smuggler got hold of his pump-action gun and fired at Oraon in the abdomen, leaving him seriously injured. Oraon did not lose control of his weapon and eventually overpowered the smuggler.
Constable Sunder Singh showed similar courage when surrounded by several cattle smugglers near the Bangladesh border in Bengal. According to BSF, the smugglers hit him on the head, but Singh fired to disperse them and eventually caught one.
SSB constable Niraj Chetry was awarded PMG for engaging with Maoists deep in the jungles of Dumka, Jharkhand. Chetry and four of his colleagues sustained bullet injuries in the operation and succumbed during treatment.
In addition to these, 88 President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and 662 Police Medal for Meritorious Service were awarded to police personnel and officers across the country.
Among the CAPF awardees for meritorious service was CRPF 2IC Shyam Sejwal, who has earlier served in Chhattisgarh and is currently posted with the MHA as a legal officer.
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