Independence day: CRPF to get max gallantry, service police medals

NEW DELHI: The country's largest paramilitary force CRPF today yet again took the distinction of being chosen for the maximum number of gallantry and other police service medals on the eve of the 69th Independence day.

While the troops of this about 3-lakh personnel strong were chosen for 64 gallantry medals, its slain officer H K Jha was selected for 'Shaurya Chakra' for his daring action in an anti-Maoist operation last year in Bihar.

Apart from these, its two gallant Inspectors General Nalin Prabhat and H S Sidhu were chosen to be decorated with the President's police medal for distinguished service.

While Prabhat has won a number of bravery medals in the past and is currently posted as the chief of operations for the paramilitary in Kashmir valley, Sidhu had headed CRPF in the most challenging anti-Naxal operations theatre in Chhattisgarh till recently.

Sidhu is now heading the elite CoBRA battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) which has been raised to undertake special surgical and intelligence-based operations.

Both the officers are 1992 rpt 1992 batch-mates of Indian Police Service and belong to Punjab (Sidhu) and Andhra Pradesh (Prabhat) cadres.

Apart from its anti-Naxal operations, CRPF has also won gallantry medals for undertaking anti-insurgency operations in the North East.