Major Mohit Sharma from 1 Para (Special Forces), killed in a battle with terrorists in the Hafruda forest in Jammu and Kashmir this March, has been honoured with Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peace time gallantry award on the occasion of Independence Day.
Major D. Sreeram Kumar, who killed 12 terrorists in counter-insurgency operations in the northeast, will also be honoured with Ashok Chakra.
Apart from the two Ashok Chakras, President Pratibha Patil has approved 146 gallantry medals, including four Kirti Chakras, 26 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medals, 100 Sena Medals, four Nao Sena Medals, five Vayu Sena Medals and three Tatrakshak Medals, a Defence Ministry release said here on Friday.
Major Mohit Sharma was born in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh and was commissioned into 90 Medium Regiment (Artillery) in March 2004. His family is now settled in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Major Sreeram Kumar is serving with 30 Assam Rifles, to which he was deputed in March 2007 in Arunachal Pradesh during ‘Operation Orchid’.
He receives the medal for creating an effective and vibrant intelligence network, delivering hard blows to activities of terrorists and making it difficult for them to operate in his area of responsibility during ‘Operation Hifazat’ in Manipur.
Among the four Kirti Chakra awardees is Major Amit Oscar Fernandes of 7 Maratha Light Infantry, at present posted in Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. He has served with 27 Rashtriya Rifles there.
In an operation in Baramulla district in November last, Major Fernandes overpowered one of the terrorists, snatched his weapon which was directing fire at the Army, and shot him dead.
Joining him in the Kirti Chakra awardees’ list is Major Deepak Tewari of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Corps serving with 14 Rashtriya Rifles in Kashmir.
Major Tewari came under fire from five Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists during a night operation in Jammu and Kashmir in November last. Braving the bullets, the Army officer eliminated three terrorists in a close-range battle and critically injured the fourth. The operation led to the killing of all five terrorists.
Paratrooper Shabir Ahmed Malik is being awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously, for rescuing an injured team member during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The fourth Kirti Chakra awardee is Naik Rishikesh Gurjar of 10 Rashtriya Rifles (Rajput), who is now the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) in charge of a ghatak platoon in the unit. He made two LeT terrorists surrender before him in ‘Operation Rakshak’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
Of the 26 personnel named for Shaurya Chakra medal, 12 will receive it posthumously. They include Havaldar Rakesh Kumar of 1 Para (SF); Havaldar Vipan Thakur of 9 Para (SF); Naik Chandrabhan Bhikan Pawar of 7 Maratha LI; Naik Manoj Singh of 1 Para (SF); Lance Naik Sujith Babu V of Corps of Engineers; Sepoy Rupom Gogoi of Assam Regiment; Rifleman Mohammed Amin Bhatt of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry; Sergeant Mustafa Ali from the Indian Air Force; inspector Manoj Kumar Singh and constable Desha Singh from the Indo-Tibetan Border police; and Lance Naik David Kerketta of the Orissa Special Armed Police.
Other Shaurya Chakra awardees are Major Dinesh Singh Parmar of 2 Sikh Light Infantry, Major Manu Shukla of Regiment of Artillery, Major Saurabh Dutt Kholia of Armoured Corps, Major Ratnesh Kumar Singh of Rajput Regiment, Major Subramaniam Anand of 4 Sikh Light Infantry, Major Ankur Garg of Corps of Engineers, Squadron Leaders Tarun Kumar Chaudhari and Harkirat Singh, Lieutenant Prashant Singh Chundawat of 16 Jat, Naib Subedar Ganesh Nath of Assam Rifles, Lance Havaldar Luis Peryera Nayagam of the Madras Regiment, Satish Kumar of the Border Roads Organisation and constable Onkar Nath of the ITBP.
'The Hindu' Report.
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