The Jammu and Kashmir Police received the highest number of 108 gallantry medals on the occasion of Republic Day, followed by 76 medals by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Union Home Ministry announced on Saturday. A total of 290 gallantry awards were announced.
Of the four President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, three were bagged by the J&K police and one by the CRPF.
Medals for CRPF
The CRPF was decorated with 75 police medals for gallantry and one President’s medal posthumously for CoBRA commando Utpal Rabha. Rabha was killed in an encounter with Maoists in Jharkhand in June 2018 and his citation said that he displayed “extraordinary valour” during the gun battle.
Among the Central forces, the Border Security Force (BSF) got nine police gallantry medals, followed by the Sashastra Seema Bal (four) and the Railway Protection Force (one).
Service medals
Overall, 1,040 police medals have been declared that includes 93 distinguished service medals and 657 meritorious service medals. These police bravery awards are declared on the eve of Republic Day and Independence Day. Those decorated with the gallantry medal include the State police units of Jharkhand (33), Odisha (16), Delhi Police (12), Maharashtra (10), Chhattisgarh (eight), Bihar (seven), Punjab (four) and Manipur (two).
