WARRIORS REMEMBERED Vol 4 2005-2015 REMEMBERED WARRIORS ‘Warriors Remembered’, a compendium of four volumes, is an endeavour by the Force to compile the heroic deeds as well as the personal details of 2014 brave men and women of the Central Reserve Police Force who have made the supreme sacrifi ce in the line of duty, both in India and overseas. The previous compila- tion was published in 2000. Much has happened since then, and therefore, it was important that their brave deeds are immortalized before they fade from our memories. The Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had also called upon the police forces of the country to enlighten the people about the contribution that the brave men and women of these forces have made to the nation. With an enormous and a diverse history of 76 years (1939- 2015), preserving records has been a challenge owing in part to the nomadic nature of the Force. Therefore, a great deal of effort and WARRIORS perseverance has gone into painstakingly compiling the details of those who had laid down their lives in the line of duty. Memo- ries were rekindled and records revisited to ensure fi delity of the narratives as well as other details. While family members would REMEMBERED be given a copy to be preserved for posterity, readers would be 2005-2015 enlightened about the brave deeds of the personnel of the Central A homage to the brave men and women Reserve Police Force. from the Central Reserve Police Force who laid down their lives in the line of duty Vol 4 2005-2015 Vol 4 Smt. Sushila Devi, mother of Shaheed Constable Bhrigunandan Choudhary, ‘Kirti Chakra’ receiving the honour from the Hon’ble President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. Date: 2 May 2014 Venue: Darbar Hall, Rashtrapati Bhawan Warriors Remembered Copyright © 2015 Central Reserve Police Force First Edition : 2015 Published by : Directorate General, CRPF New Delhi All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below: Inspector General (Operations) Central Reserve Police Force Email: [email protected] Price: R 3000/- Printed by : Viba Press Pvt. Ltd. C-66/3, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110020 Tel.:011-41611300-301, Telefax: 26386500, Mobile: 9810049515 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] ISBN: 978-81-931772-9-7 WARRIORS REMEMBERED Vol 4 – 2005-2015 DECORATIONS The Ashoka Chakra is the peace time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra and is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice other than in the face of an external enemy. The decoration is awarded either to military personnel or civilians and may be awarded posthumously. It replaced the British George Cross. The Kirti Chakra is awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It is awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, also posthumously. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and it comes after Ashoka Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class II. The Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battlefield. It replaced the British Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra. It was established by the President of India on 26 January 1950 (with effect from 15 August 1947). The Shaurya Chakra is awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It is awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, also posthumously. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra and is generally awarded for counter- insurgency operations and action against the enemy during peace-time. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class III. The King’s Police Medal for Gallantry was introduced to recognise the gallantry of police officers in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals. It was established on 7 July 1909. The President’s Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry replaced the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry after the Independence of India, which was awarded for “gallantry in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals.” It was established on 1 March 1951. The President’s Police Medal for Gallantry is awarded for, “gallantry in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals.” The medal is awarded to any member of a police service in India, and is awarded without regard to rank or time in service. A recipient of the medal is granted a monthly stipend that is paid to him even after retirement. Upon a recipient’s death, it continues to be paid to the surviving spouse. The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian Army, of all ranks, “for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage that have special significance for the Army.” Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for subsequent awards of the Sena Medal. It can be awarded for gallantry or for distinguished service carried out by any soldier, not in the face of the enemy. The Police Medal for Gallantry is awarded for conspicuous gallantry of a lesser degree than what is required for the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry. Recipients for this award are considered without regard to rank or length of service. Recipients are granted an additional monthly stipend that is paid even after retirement, and upon the death of a recipient, to the recipient’s widow. Prime Minister’s Police Medal For Life Saving (Life Saving Work by the Police). In order to encourage policemen of all ranks to bring help and succour to the afflicted, it has been decided that in the All India Police Duty Meet, a separate award will be made in cases where exemplary devotion to duty is shown by a policeman when saving human life. The medal is awarded to only those members of a recognized police force within the territory of India who have done outstanding work in saving human life. 2005 JAMMU & KASHMIR 7 January 2005 On the 7th of January 2005, troops of 23 Bn CRPF were deployed to protect the ITO building at Lal Chowk, PS Kothibagh, Dist. Srinagar. At around 1600 hours, two militants arrived, opened fire and lobbed grenades at the personnel deployed at the gate. The sentry and his commander Shaheed HC Mane Kumar immediately returned the fire. Due to the incessant fire and blasting of grenades both received severe injuries. Despite sustaining injuries they continued to fire at the militants and gunned down one of them. The second militant admist the fierce gunfight managed to enter a building and fired indiscriminately at the civil employees present there. As the troops chased him he took refuge inside a room and kept firing at the troops. As the militant found no other way to escape he set the building ablaze. The valiant Shaheed HC Mane Kumar later succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom. SHAHEED HC MANE KUMAR Force No. 850807556 Unit: 23 Born: 1 June 1963 Address: Vill & PO- Kavathisar, PS-Jaysingpur, Dist. Kolhapur, Maharashtra Next of kin: Smt. Sunitha Mane (Wife) 1 | WARRIORS REMEMBERED 2005 TRIPURA 13 January 2005 On the 13th of January 2005, troops of 54 Bn CRPF launched an operation against insurgents in Tholibari area of South Tripura district. During the operation as no contact could be established with the insurgents the troops decided to withdraw. As the troops were returning to their base, the insurgents hiding at a hilltop in the jungle opened indiscriminate fire at them. The troops immediately charged back and launched a counter-attack. This counter-attack was led by Shaheed SI Vaghela Govind Bhai and Shaheed Ct Pramar Ganpat Bhai. Both, despite sustaining serious injuries, kept up the counter-attack till the insurgents fled away in the jungle. Later both succumbed to their injuries SHAHEED SI VAGHELA GOVIND BHAI and attained martyrdom. Force No. 841120141 Unit: 54 Born: 1 June 1964 Address: Vill & PO-Ukhlod, Teh-Vivamgam, Dist-Ahmedabad, Gujrat Next of kin: Smt. Sharada Ben G. Bhai (Wife) SHAHEED CT PRAMAR GANPAT BHAI Force No. 891290216 Unit: 54 Born: 10 November 1967 Address: Vill-Pipalata, PO & PS-Nadiad, Dist Kheda, Gujrat Next of kin: Smt. Kokila Ben (Wife) WARRIORS REMEMBERED | 2 2005 JAMMU & KASHMIR 15 January 2005 On the 15th of January 2005, two militants entered the Passport office located near Bakshi Stadium, PS Shergarhi, Dist. Srinagar and opened indiscriminate fire at the civilian staff. The troops of 50 Bn CRPF along with SOG immediately cordoned the building. As the troops were laying the cordon, militants opened indiscriminate fire at them and a fierce encounter ensued. Amidst this, Shaheed SI Ajmin Ansari and Shaheed Ct Ved Pal received serious injuries when they were advancing towards the militants positions. The militants failed to match the bravery of troops and rushed to a room inside the office and took positions. A joint assault team of CRPF and State Police was formed SHAHEED SI AJMIN ANSARI which neutralized both the militants after conducting a room intervention Force No.