CRPF’s Chetan Cheeta to get Kirti Chakra today

CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheeta, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds during a February encounter with militants in Kashmir, is among the five security personnel who will be honoured with Kirti Chakra — country’s secondhighest peacetime gallantry award — on Independence Day.

Cheeta had suffered severe head, jaw and eye injuries and had fractured his hands during the Bandipora encounter, in which three soldiers and a militant were killed. He fought for his life for over a month at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and was discharged from the hospital in April.

Major David Manlun, who died fighting militants in Nagaland’s Mon district in June, Havildar Giris Gurung and CRPF commandant Pramod Kumar will be awarded the medal posthumously Major Preetam Singh Kunwar will be the other recipient of Kirti Chakra. President Ram Nath Kovind approved 112 gallantry awards, including 17 Shaurya Chakras and 85 Sena Medals (Gallantry) on the eve of Independence Day.

JAITLEY SPEAKS ON SURGICAL STRIKE

The army carried out surgical strikes against terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last September after India “ran out of patience” as the terrorists were not only targeting the armed forces but also civilians, defence and finance minister Arun Jaitley said.

In his customary broadcast to the armed forces on the eve of the Independence Day, Jaitley said, “Despite our repeated requests to our Western neighbour not to use our territory occupied by it not only to train terrorists but also use it as launch pad for pushing these militants into India, such nefarious activities continued.”