Central Reserve Police Force DIG Nalin Prabhat, who led an encounter that killed four top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in 2008 and Madhya Pradesh ATS constable Sitaram Yadav, who was killed by SIMI operatives in 2009, are among the 930 police personnel decorated with gallantry and other service medals on the eve of Independence Day.
The maximum number of gallantry medals — 26 — have been earned by personnel of the CRPF, which has deployed almost 60,000 troops for anti-Naxal operations in the country.
Mr. Prabhat has been awarded the gallantry medal for executing a “spectacular operation” in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district which killed four Hizb terrorists, including district commander Sajjad Bhatt who in 2006 killed nine Nepalese nationals.
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In the medals tally announced on Sunday, the CRPF is closely followed by the Manipur Police with 24 gallantry medals going to its kitty.
The government also announced the President's Police Medal for gallantry to seven personnel, Police Medal for gallantry to 95 personnel, the President's Police Medal for distinguished service to 93 personnel and Police Medal for meritorious service to 735 personnel.
Constable Yadav (32) of the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), who has been posthumously honoured, was killed in Khandwa district of the State in November 2009 by the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) operatives.
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Yadav was instrumental in cracking several modules of SIMI and was involved in other such operations.
This report has been edited for a factual update.