NEW DELHI: Two
BSF personnel
killed during a
UN peacekeeping mission
in Congo and current DG (law and order) in UP Police Prashant Kumar, popularly called the "encounter specialist", were honoured for gallantry on Republic Day eve, which saw 1,132 personnel from the police, fire services, home guards, civil defence and correctional service being named for four different categories of police and service medals.
The medals announced on Thursday include 277 gallantry medals, comprising two President's Medal for Gallantry (PMG) and 275 medals for gallantry (GM); 102 President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM); and 753 Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM).
Among the 277 gallantry medal awardees, 119 were honoured for brave actions in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas and 133 in terrorism-hit J&K. At 72, J&K Police have the highest number of medals, followed by CRPF with 65, Chhattisgarh Police with 26, Jharkhand Police with 23, Sashastra Seema Bal with 21, Maharashtra Police with 18, and Odisha Police with 15.
Figuring among the eight gallantry winners in Delhi Police is ASI Shambhu Dayal Meena who was killed after being stabbed by a snatcher who he had confronted.
Overall, CRPF has got the highest police medals this year at 127, followed by J&K Police with 86, UP Police with 83, Maharashtra Police with 62, BSF with 53, Chhattisgarh Police with 38, Jharkhand Police with 36, SSB with 34 and Delhi Police with 29.
Of the 102 President's Medal for Distinguished Service, 94 have gone to personnel of the police service and four each to fire service and civil defence and home guard service personnel. The 753 Medal for Meritorious Service announced include 667 for police service, 32 for fire services, 27 for civil defence and home guard services and 27 for correctional services.
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