SRINAGAR: 72 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been selected for the Gallantry Medal (GM) on Republic Day. They played pivotal roles in maintaining law and order post the abrogation of Article 370 in the UT.
Gallantry medals are awarded to policemen across the country for their distinguished services on Republic Day every year.
Beyond Jammu and Kashmir, 65 personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 26 from Chhattisgarh, 23 from Jharkhand, 18 from Maharashtra, 15 from Odisha, 8 from Delhi, and 21 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) also receiving the Medal for Gallantry (GM).
Among the majority of the 277 Gallantry Awards, 119 personnel from Left-wing extremist-affected areas, 133 personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir region and 25 personnel from other regions are being awarded for their gallant action.
A senior official of the Ministry of Home Affairs posted in Jammu and Kashmir has been awarded the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service for their key role in multiple Anti-Terror Operations in the Jammu region.
Out of the 102 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSM), 94 have been awarded to the Police Service, 4 to the Fire Service, and 4 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service. Additionally, out of the 753 Medals for Meritorious Service (MSM), 667 have been awarded to the Police Service, 32 to the Fire Service, 27 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service, and 27 to the Correctional Service.
The gallantry awards also extend to 12 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) for their operations in the Kashmir valley, with a majority recognized for their efforts during the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. Notable awardees include Mohd Rafee Rather, Dr. Shammi Kumar, Sajad Ahmad Malik, Qazi Shamas-Ul-Muzaffar Amin, Rohit Kumar, Mohd Ashrif, Mohan Lal, Faizan Ali, Mumtaz Ali, Sumit Kumar Sharma, Zafar Mahdi, and Nissar Ahmad Darzi.
A senior official emphasised that many of the awardees played pivotal roles in maintaining control in the region post the abrogation, contributing significantly to the success of Anti-Terror Operations.
