Team News Riveting
New Delhi, May 9
President Smt Droupadi Murmu, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred eight Kirti Chakras, including five posthumous, and 29 Shaurya Chakras, including five posthumous.
The awards for exemplary courage have been given to the personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and State/Union Territory Police during Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) held in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.
The Kirti Chakra awardees include three policemen including an officer of Chhattisgarh police. Deepak Bhardwaj, 30, a sub-inspector from District Reserve Guard, head constable Sodhi Narayan, 35, and Shrawan Kashyap, 37, Special Task Force head constable, were among the 22 security personnel who laid down their lives in line of duty combating the Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on April 3, 2021.
The rebels ambushed a strong contingent of 700 personnel drawn from CRPF and Chhattisgarh. However, the security personnel gave a befitting reply and minimised the casualty. The three who were awarded Kirti Chakra showed brave act during the action. Sub Inspector Deepak Bhardwaj saved and evacuated most of his men from the heavy firing coming from Maoists. During the act, he came under the target of an improvised explosive device (IED) blast and sacrificed his life for the country.
The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards, comes after Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra.
The other two Kirti Chakra awardees, who were conferred with the award posthumously, included Sudip Sarkar, constable with Border Security Force and Rohit Kumar, Constable with the Jammu and Kashmir police.
