The Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on November 22, 2021
New Delhi: At 0330 hours on November 27, 2018, a cordon and search operation was launched in a village of Jammu and Kashmir by the First Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles.
Sapper Prakash Jadhav from the Corps of Engineers of the First Battalion of RR was leading the search party. Suddenly, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on search party. Sensing danger to his buddy, Prakash pushed him aside, exposed himself, under heavy firing by the terrorists, effectively retaliated back and eliminated one terrorist on the spot. Meanwhile, a second terrorist opened fire and threw a petrol bomb. He alerted his team to leave the house. In this process, Jadhav sustained bullet injuries; however, undeterred from his grave injuries Jadhav fearlessly brought down accurate fire and injured the terrorist. Due to the petrol bomb, fire spread all over the house and Sapper Prakash Jadhav could not extricate himself out of the house and later succumbed to his gunshot wounds and burn injuries.
Today the nation remembered Sapper Jadhav’s supreme sacrifice and President Ram Nath Kovind conferred on him India’s second highest gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, posthumously at the Defence Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning, for the year 2020.
Another brave soldier to be decorated with Kirti Chakra today was deputy commandant of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Harshpal Singh, who had displayed exceptional leadership qualities, raw grit and moral courage risking his own life to secure his troop as well as the local populace, while fighting terrorists at Dheerti village near Jahjhar Kotli in Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh had rushed with a small team to a house in Dheerti village after receiving specific input about the presence of 3 foreign terrorists there in the morning of September 13, 2018.
On sensing the presence of troops near the house, terrorists opened heavy fire upon them. Harshpal Singh along with his buddy crawled sideways to find a position to launch an effective counterattack. Terrorists sensed the move of the duo fired successive grenades upon them. Singh, got positioned behind the tree, took aimed shots and neutralized a terrorist on the spot, and injured others.
The terrorists marked the position of Harshpal Singh and Constable Zaker Hussain and opened heavy fire upon them and hurled flurry of grenades towards Harshpal Singh in which he was badly hit by the splinters. He sustained severe injuries in leg, ribs, chest, and head. Despite being fatally hit, Harshpal Singh stood his ground and continued to fire upon the terrorists.
Due to excessive bleeding, the duo was evacuated to hospital for treatment. The remaining two terrorists were neutralized by the troops with the recovery of arms, huge cache of ammunition and explosives.
Today the President also conferred the nation’s third highest peacetime gallantry award, Shaurya Chakra, on 10 brave soldiers. Two of them, Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal of Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, 55th Batallion of the Rashtriya Rifles, and Naib Subedar Sombir of the Jat Regiment, 34th Batallion of the Rashtriya Rifles, were given the award posthumously.
Besides, the President also conferred Vir Chakra on Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Vardhaman Abhinandan, who had come under international limelight after he had intercepted and shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet before his MIG 21 Bison was hit by the enemy missile, forcing him to eject in Pakistani territory. He had showed conspicous courage in the face of the enemy while disregarding personal safety and had displayed exceptional sense of duty. Finally Pakistan had to hand him over to India in face of mounting pressure.
The President today also gave away 14 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, 2 Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, 26 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal to the armed force personnels for their exception valour and distinguished service.
– global bihari bureau
