Sepoy Jagdish Chand, who bravely chased and killed one of the terrorists who had attacked the Pathankot air base before being martyred, was among the 58 personnel who were honoured with gallantry and other service-related awards by President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday.
Chand was honoured with Kirti Chakra, the second highest peace-time decoration, for displaying great presence of mind, valour and conspicuous gallantry before making the supreme sacrifice.
His award was handed over by the President to his wife, who received a rapturous clapping from the audience which included Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among others.
Col M N Rai of Gorkha Rifles was honoured with the Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous) for unprecedented courage and valour, well beyond the call of duty, that he displayed during an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on January 27, last year.
His daughter, Alka Rai, who had left the nation emotionally devastated as she rose above her grief to shriek an old Gorkha war cry just before his cremation last year, stood up in attention as her mother received the award from the President.
Havildar Tanka Kumar Limbu of the 21 Para, who had taken part in the operation on June 8, last year along the Indo-Myanmar border, was also given Shaurya Chakra.
Mohammad Shafi Sheikh and Reyaz Ahmad Lone, two constables of Jammu and Kashmir Police, were also honoured with Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous).
The same award also went to Hira Kumar Jha, second-in-command of Central Reserve Police Force’s 7th Battalion, who was killed in an encounter with Naxals in Bihar last year.
Meanwhile, Vice Chief of Navy Vice Admiral P Murugesan was given Param Vishist Seva Medal and Deputy Chief of Army Lt Gen Subrata Saha was given Uttam Yudh Seva Medal.
