Coast Guard personnel, Myanmar strike soldiers among 67 Gallantry award winners

New Delhi: Eight personnel of the 21 Para Regiment and Commandant of the Coast Guard ship involved in an operation against a Pakistani boat earlier in 2015 were among 67 who received Gallantry awards from President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday.

Commandant Chandra Shekhar Joshi, commander of Coast Guard ship Rajratan, which was involved in an operation that led to sinking of a Pakistani boat earlier in 2015, was awarded the Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry).

The operation had run into controversy after Coast Guard DIG B K Loshali claimed that he had ordered the blowing up of the Pakistani boat, contrary to government's claims that the Pakistani crew had set the boat on fire.

Loshali is likely to face strict action soon after the Board of Inquiry found that he had wrongly claimed so.

Apart from Commandant Joshi, Commander Mohan Milind Mokashi, Commanding Officer, INS Sumitra, and Captain Rajesh Dhankhar, Commanding Officer, INS Mumbai, which spearheaded the rescue operation of stranded Indians in Yemen in 2015, also receive gallantry awards.

Besides two Kirti Chakras, there were 10 Shaurya Chakras, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 49 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and three Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

Shaurya Chakra awardee Lt Col Nectar Sanjenbam of the 21 Parachute Regiment, which had also undertaken a daring operation along the Indo-Myanmar border following the Manipur ambush in June, got the Kirti Chakra along with Naib Subedhar Rajesh Kumar (posthumous), killed in an operation against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in October 2014.

10 soldiers, including Havildar Tanka Kumar Limbu of the 21 Para, got the Shaurya Chakra. Other awardees include Col M N Rai, Havaldar Man Bahadur Chhetri, Head Constable of Jand K police Mohammad Shafi Sheikh, constable Reyaz Ahmad Lone and CRPF Second-in-Command Hira Kumar (all posthumous).

Squadron Leader S Selvakumar, Flight Lieutenant Gandikota Jagan Mohan and Sergent Mukesh Kumar Tiwari got the Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry.

The President has also awarded 20 Mention-in-Despatches to Army and Para Military personnel for their significant contributions in different military operations which include three for 'Operation Meghdoot', 12 for 'Operation Rakshak', one for 'Operation Orchid', one for 'Operation Hifazat' and three for 'Operation Rhino'.