JAMMU, Aug 14: On the eve of the 79th Independence Day today, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, announced the President’s Gallantry and Service Medals, with the highest number of 172 recipients from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Further, among them are highest 152 personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Fire Service, and other forces’ personnel posted in J&K, who have been awarded the Gallantry Medals (GMs), with Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) alone receiving the highest 127 GMs among all the police forces of the country.Uttar Pradesh Police figured at second number in the table with 17 GMs followed by Chhattisgarh Police with 14 medals, Odisha Police with 9 medals, Maharashtra and Bihar Police with 7 medals each, Jharkhand Police with 5 medals, Assam Police with 3 medals, and Telangana Police with one medal.
Two Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) officers were also awarded the President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs), while 14 other officers of the force were awarded the Medals for Meritorious Service (MSMs).
As per MHA, a total of 1090 personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence (HG&CD) and Correctional Services have been awarded Gallantry and Service Medals across the country this Independence Day.
Of them, 233 personnel have been awarded Medals for Gallantry (GMs), 99 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs) and 758 Medal for Meritorious Service (MSMs).
The MHA further said that among the majority of the 233 Gallantry Awards, 152 personnel are from Jammu and Kashmir, 54 from Left Wing Extremism affected areas, 3 from North-East, and 24 from other regions.
Among the Gallantry Medal (GM) awardees from Jammu and Kashmir are IGP Crime Branch J&K Sujit Kumar, SSP Kulgam Sahil Sarangal, SSP Srinagar GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, SSP SIA Yougal Kumar Manhas, SSP ACB Mamta Sharma, SSP Kishtwar Naresh Singh, SSP PD Awantipora Sajjad Ahmad Shah, and SSP Iftkhar Talib, who is currently serving as SP Sopore.
While IGP Crime Sujit Kumar has been awarded the Gallantry Medal, SSP Sahil Sarangal has also been awarded the GM, SSP GV Sundeep Chakravarthy (GM), SSP Yougal Kumar Manhas (Ist Bar to GM), SSP Mamta Sharma (GM), SSP Naresh Singh (GM), SSP Sajad Ahmad Shah (GM), and SSP Iftkhar Talib (2nd Bar to GM and 3rd Bar to GM).Fourteen Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs) have also been awarded the Gallantry Medals. They are Shabir Ahmad Khan (Ist Bar to GM), Martyr Himayun Muzzamil (Ist Bar to GM {posthumously}), Manoj Kumar (GM), Mohan Lal, who is currently serving as Additional SP (Ist Bar to GM and 2nd Bar to GM), Chhabil Singh (GM), Raiz Ahmad (GM), Shukat Rafiq Wani (GM), Farha Nishat (GM), Sunil Singh Jasrotia (GM), Manish Kumar (GM), Raja Majid Bhat (GM and Ist Bar to GM), Mohammad Ameen Bhat (GM), Sarfaraz Bashir Ganai (Ist Bar to GM), and Hilal Khaliq Bhat (GM).
The other police officers and officials who have been awarded the Gallantry Medals are Head Constable Nazir Ahmad Wani (GM), Head Constable Nisar Maqbool (GM), Constable Mohammad Iqbal Mir (GM), Constbale Dawood Ahmad Mir (GM), ASI Mohammad Sadeeq (GM), Head Constable Maajid Afzal Wani (Ist Bar to GM), Head Constable Manzoor Ahmad Malik (GM), Head Constable Bilal Ahmad (GM), Head Constable Karan Singh (GM), Constable Sami-Ullah Shah (GM), Sub-Inspector Sheikh Abid (GM), Head Constable Ishfaq Ahmad Wani (GM), Selection grade Constable Swarn Singh (GM), Head Constable Abdul Majid War (GM), Selection grade Constable Deepak Kumar (GM), Constable Mushtaq Ahmad Theekri (GM), ASI Narinder Singh (GM), Selection grade Constable Rouf Ahmad Mir (GM), Selection grade Constable Abdul Rouf Wani (GM), and Constable Showkat Ahmad Dar (GM).
Among other recipients of the Gallantry Medal are Constable Tanveer Ahmad Dar (GM), Inspector Naseer Ahmad Malik (GM), ASI Ghulam Mohammad (GM), Selection grade Constable Reyaz Hussain Shah (GM), Head Constable Agya Singh (GM), Police Sub Inspector Zahoor Ahmed Khan (GM), Police Sub Inspector Rouf Ahmad Doom (GM), Head Constable Mohammad Rafiq (GM), Constable Mukesh Kumar (GM), Constable Javaid Abbas Mattoo (GM), Follower Abdul Rashid Dar (GM), Head Constable Khalil Ahmed (GM), Constable Ghulam Mohammad Ganaie (GM), Constable Abid Nazir (GM), Inspector Arif Ahmad Sheikh (GM), SI Sheikh Wakeel Ahmad (GM), ASI Azad Ahmad Naik (GM), Selection grade Constable Naseer Ahmad Bhat (GM), Selection grade Constable Shabir Ahmad Malik (GM), Head Constable Gayour-ul-Haq (GM), Constable Masroor Ali Thakroo (GM), Constable Zulfqar Ali (GM), Constable Jasvir Singh (GM), Head Constable Ali Mohammad Sofi (GM), Head Constable Koshal Sharma (GM), Constable Nassar Ahmad Shah (GM), Selection grade Constable Manzoor Ahmad Reshi (GM), and Selection grade Constable Sajad Mohiuddin (GM).
Similarly, Constable Reshav Kumar has been awarded GM, Constable Ajit Kumar (GM), Constable Arshid Ahmad Sheikh (GM), Selection grade Constable Asif Rashid Bhat (GM), Constable Liyakat Ahmad Khatana (GM), Constable Rakeeb Ahmad Malik (GM), ASI Davinder Kumar (GM), ASI Dawood Ahmad (GM), Head Constable Yashpal Singh (GM), Inspector Zaffar Iqbal Dar (GM), Selection grade Constable Bilal Ahmad (GM), Constable Barkat Ali Dar (GM), Follower Abdul Latif Gnai (GM), ASI Tanvir Mohammad Bhat (GM), Head Constable Abdul Qayoom Wani (GM), Selection grade Constable Shakeel Ahmad Wani (GM), Selection grade Constable Khushi Ram (GM), Selection grade Constable Abdul Hamid Malik (GM), Constable Mukhtar ahmad Lone (GM), Head Constable Rayeesh Ahmad Reshi (GM), Selection grade Constable Pervinder Singh (GM), SI Ishtiyak Latif Qureshi (GM), Selection grade Constable Mohinder Kumar (GM), Selection grade Constable Mohammad Younis Rather (GM), Police Sub Inspector Nitish Khajuria (GM), ASI Subash Chander (GM), ASI Kashmir Singh (GM), Selection grade Constable Sandeep Kumar (GM), Selection grade Constable Shabir Ahmad (GM), Head Constable Farooq Ahmad Awan (3rd Bar to GM), Constable Safeer Lone (2nd Bar to GM), and Follower Ghulam Jeelani Gojar (GM).
Head Constable Ravees Ahmad (GM), Head Constable Javed Iqbal (GM), Selection grade Constable Showkat Ahmad Ganai (GM), Head Constable Zahoor Wani (GM), Head Constable Mohammad Shafi Dar (GM), ASI Zahoor Ahmad (GM), Selection grade Constable Shamim Ahmad Kooli (GM), Selection grade Constable Sajad Hussain Malik (GM), Selection grade Bashir Ahmad (GM), Selection grade Constable Rayees Ahmad Ganie (GM), Constable Ummar Majid Mir (GM), Inspector Zia-ur-Rehman (GM), Constable Gh Hassan Mir (GM), Inspector Arjun Magotra (GM), Selection grade Constable Mahesh Chander (GM), Constable Sukhdev Singh (GM), Head Constable Khurshid Ahmed (GM), Selection grade Constable Shahbaz Ahmad Ganai (GM), Head Constable Fayaz Ahmad (GM), Constable Basharat Ahmad Ganie (GM), Head Constable Javid Ahmad Shah (GM), and Constable Rayaz Ahmad Wani (GM) are among the other recipients of the Gallantry Medal.
Names of other forces’ personnel posted in J&K except for one officer posted in Fire Service in J&K, who were awarded the GMs, had not been shared by the time this report was filed.
Medals for Gallantry (GM) are awarded on the ground of rare conspicuous act of gallantry and conspicuous act of gallantry respectively in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals, the risk incurred being estimated with due regard to the obligations and duties of the officer concerned.
Similarly, out of 99 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs), 89 have been awarded to Police Service, 5 to Fire Service, 3 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service and 2 to Correctional Service, with Jammu and Kashmir Police bagging two PSMs.
The JKP officers who have been awarded the President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs) are Sheikh Junaid Mehmood and Rashmi Wazir, both holding the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police.
While Sheikh Junaid Mehmood, the 2009 batch IPS officer, is posted as DIG IR Kashmir, Rashmi Wazir, the 2011 batch IPS officer, is currently posted as DIG Security, J&K.
President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs) are awarded for special distinguished record in Service.
As far as Medals for Meritorious Service (MSMs) are concerned, out of 758 medals awarded this Independence Day, 635 have been awarded to Police Service, 51 to Fire Service, 41 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service, and 31 to Correctional Service, with JKP bagging 14 medals.
The officers and officials who have been awarded the MSMs are SSP Ashok Kumar Sharma (Commandant JKAP 4th Security Battalion), SSP PCR Jammu Koshal Kumar Sharma, SSP Railways Katra Sanjay Kumar Kotwal, SSP Ramban Arun Gupta, SSP ACB Mamta Sharma, DSP Ashwani Mansa Ram Kumar, Inspector Vimal Kumar Koul, Inspector Baynazir Iqbal, Head Constable Krishan Chand, Inspector (Min) Neelam Sharma, ASI Bharat Ji Raina, Head Constable Khurshid Ahmad Magray, Constable Khurshid Ahmad Qazi, and Constable Sodagar Mal.
The Medals for Meritorious Service (MSMs) are awarded for valuable service characterized by resource and devotion to duty.
Additionally, in the category of Fire Service, Sub-Officer Noor Alam Jatla was awarded the GM while Leading Fireman Dushiant Singh and Station Officer Mohammad Jaffar were awarded the MSMs.
In the category of Home Guards & Civil Defence Sub Inspector (M) Rajesh Kumar was awarded the MSM while as in the category of Correctional Service, Section Officer Mumtaz Ahmad Khan was awarded the MSM.
