Jawans of Myanmar raid to get awards

NEW DELHI: The nation’s top gallantry awards have gone to members of the special parachute regiment team that carried out a cross border strike in Myanmar in June to target militant camps operating from hidden, jungle camps. Gallantry awards have also been announced for the Gurdaspur cops who took on cross border militants as well as the captain of a Coast Guard boat that took on a Pakistani `terror boat’ in December.

Lt Col Nectar Sanjenbam of the 21 Para Regiment, who led the cross border operation into Myanmar, has been conferred the Kirti Chakra, while seven of his team members have been given other gallantry medals, including Havildar Tanka Kumar Limbu who got a Shaurya Chakras. The officer is already a Shaurya Chakra awardee.

Among the other awardees is Commandant Chandra Shekhar Joshi, who was the captain of Coast Guard ship Rajratan that dealt with the Pakistani `terror boat’ incident of December. The officer has been conferred the Presidents Tatrakshak Medal (gallantry).

Three Punjab policemen who valiantly fought terrorists in Gurdaspur have been awarded President Police Medal for gallantry. Superintendent of Police Baljit Singh, who laid down his life, has been awarded posthumously while two of his colleagues, Inspector Balbir Singh and Head Constable Tara Singh. Head Constable Tara Singh had lobbed nearly a dozen grenades at the terrorists with great precision, given his long experience as a Chief Drill Inspectoe. NND Dubey, DIG with the National Investigation Agency has been conferred with President police medal. He was also instrumental in killing of GaziBaba, a dreaded JeM militant in 2001 in Jammu and Kashmir.