New Delhi, August 14: On the eve of Independence Day, the government has selected 942 personnel from central and state police force for ‘Police Medals’. The Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) constable Sharief-ud-Din Ganaie and Head Constable Mohammad Tafail, who lost their lives in 2017 while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, have been posthumously selected for the highest Police Medal, President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG).  Ganaie and Tafail succumbed to injuries while fighting three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who attacked the CRPF's South Kashmir-based Lethpora camp on the midnight of December 30. Both the personnel belonged to the CRPF's 185 Battalion.

Out of the total medal winners, 117 personnel have been selected for the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), 88 for President's Police Medal for Distinguished Services (PPM) and 675 for Police Medal for Meritorious Services. The Union Home Ministry announced the list on Tuesday. President Ram Nath Kovind approved the list of the awardees.

The paramilitary force bagged the highest number of 154 Police Medals, with its two personnel were chosen for the PPMG awards posthumously. The CRPF also bagged a record 89 PMG awards among all armed forces and 58 PM awards. The CRPF is in the fourth place in bagging PPM awards.

In the PMG awards list, the Jammu and Kashmir Police received 37 medals, Odisha Police received 11, Border Security Force bagged 10 medals, followed by Maharashtra Police with eight. Chhattisgarh Police received six medals, the Delhi and Meghalaya Police bagged five medals each. Three medals have been bagged by the Assam police, whereas Bihar, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Police received one medal each.

The Intelligence Bureau bagged the highest eight PPM awards followed by six each by the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the Uttar Pradesh Police and The CRPF received five medals. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha Police and the Border Security Force received four medals each, while the Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu Police forces bagged three medals each. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal Police got two medals each, whereas and one each by Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep Police.  The Sashastra Seema Bal, the National Investigation Agency, the National Disaster Response Force, Ministry of Home Affairs and Railways also received one award each.

The Indian government today honoured Major Aditya Kumar and Rifleman Aurangzeb by conferring on them the Shaurya Chakra for their bravery. Aurangzeb was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously. He was abducted by terrorists from Pulwama district when he was on his way to him for Eid. Later, his body was found at Gusoo area of the district.

(With inputs from IANS)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2018 06:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).