President honours surgical strikes heroes with Shaurya Chakras

IMAGE: President Pranab Mukherjee presens Shaurya Chakra to Major Rajat Chandra during the Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Maj Chandra was tasked to undertake close surveillance of the terrorist's hideout in Jammu and Kashmir. Photographs: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday awarded Shaurya Chakras to the officers who took part in the daring surgical strike across the Line of Control last year.

He also awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously to Lt Col Niranjan Ek, who died while recovering IED from the bodies of Pathankot terrorists in January 2016.

IMAGE: The president presents Shaurya Chakra to the widow and mother of head constable Sanjewan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir Police. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended the ceremony.

As per the citation against Shaurya Chakra awardees, Major Rajat Chandra killed two terrorists during the surgical strike, while Captain Ashutosh Kumar eliminated four terrorists. Both belong to 4 Para Special Forces, which took part in the surgical strike in September last year.

Major Deepak Upadhyay and Paratrooper Abdul Qayum, both of 9 Para Special Forces, were also awarded with Shaurya Chakras for their role in the surgical strike.

IMAGE: The widow of Lance Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar before receiving Shaurya Chakra from the president on behalf of her husband.

Nineteen soldiers of the 4 and 9 Para, the special forces units, who undertook the daring cross-border surgical strike across LoC, were awarded with gallantry medals on January 25, including a Kirti Chakra, while their commanding officers have been given Yudh Sewa Medal.

Shaurya Chakra was also posthumously awarded to Sanjewan Singh, head constable with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Naib Subedhar Kankara V Subba Reddy, Naik Pandurang Gawade, and Kirti Chakra to Lance Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar of the Gorkha Rifles. All laid their lives fighting terrorists.

IMAGE: Mukherjee presents Shaurya Chakra to the widow and mother of Naik Gawde Pandurang Mahadev.

Family members of Singh, Reddy, Gawande and Magar received the honour by the President.

Lt Gen PM Hariz, one of the two senior most officers superseded by Chief of Army Staff Gen Bin Rawat, was awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Hariz is the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Command.

Shaurya Chakras were also awarded to Atu Zumvu, Sub-Divisional Police Officer with the Nagaland Police, who shot down three National Democratic Front of Bodoland outfit members, responsible for killing 81 people.

IMAGE: President Pranab Mukherjee presents Shaurya Chakra to the widow and mother of Lt Col Niranjan EK.

Captain Elisen Y Jami of the 12th Batallion Parachute Regiment, Kukudapu Srinivasulu, police constable with Telangana Police was also awarded with Shaurya Chakra.

Lt Col D Vinay Reddy of the Madras Regiment and Havildar Hanuman Ram Saran of the Rajputana Rifles were awarded with Shaurya Chakra.