2 J&K cops among 144 to bag top gallantry awards

NEW DELHI: Two Jammu & Kashmir Police personnel, one an assistant sub inspector and another a constable, are among the 144 defence and security personnel whose names have been approved for top gallantry awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on the eve of Independence Day, according to defence ministry release issued on Saturday.

ASI Babu Ram and constable Altaf Hussain Bhat of the J&K Police were posthumously conferred with the country’s top two gallantry awards -- the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra -- for demonstrating outstanding courage during counterterrorism operations in the Union Territory.

The other awards approved by the President are 15 Shaurya Chakras, four Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 116 Sena Medals (Gallantry), five Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) and four medals for the Indian Coast Guard personnel. Babu Ram, who was from the Special Operations Group of J&K Police, was killed during a fierce encounter with terrorists at Pantha-Chokh area of Srinagar in August 2020.

Altaf Hussain sacrificed his life while saving his protected person who was attacked by terrorists in Ganderbal. Shahbaz Ahmed, a special police officer in J&K Police, was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra -- the country’s third-highest peacetime gallantry award.

“DGP Dilbag Singh salutes fallen heroes, ASI Babu Ram, Const Altaf and SPO Shahbaz of JKP who bring honour and glory to the force in their sacrifice and service to the nation,” J&K Police tweeted. The Shaurya Chakra awardees include six army personnel, two IAF officers, a navy officer, four CRPF personnel and two cops.