Tatrakshak Medals Announced for Coast Guard Personnel

New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) Defence Minister AK Antony will present at a Special Investiture ceremony here tomorrow the President's Tatrakshak medal to Commander of the Coast Guard Region (West) Inspector General Achutan Rajashekhar who was instrumental in saving 361 lives in the July 28, 2005 Bombay High fire incident.

Ten people died in the fire which broke out on the ONGC oil platform at Bombay High, located some 160 kilometres off the Mumbai coast. The Coast Guard, in one of the most successful rescue attempts so far in India, saved 361 lives in the incident.

IG Rajashekhar also was instrumental in apprehension of a huge haul of 200 kgs of cocaine from the Bombay High area and in saving 20 crew members from a distressed vessel 'MV Ocean Seraya'.

Others to be presented the President's Tatrakshak Medal and Tatrakshak Medals -- the highest awards given to Coast Guard personnel for displaying exemplary courage, dedication, sincerity and devotion to duty -- at a Special Investiture ceremony include Commandant (JG) Satish Kumar, Commandant(JG) Praveen Gaur, Deputy Commandant Sujeet Dwivedi, and Mandip Singh, 'Pradhan Navik' -- all Tatrakshak Medals for Gallantry.

Commandant (JG) Satish Kumar gets the medal for saving five lives near Chennai while flying solo under adverse conditions; Commandant(JG) Praveen Gaur for flying under poor visibility and rain to rescue two fishermen near Port Blair; Deputy Commandant Sujeet Dwivedi for sailing in rough seas to rescue 200 stranded fishing boats off New Mangalore and bringing them to safety; and Pradhan Navik Mandip Singh for successfully tackling a major oil fire in a chemical godown in Daman.

Tatrakshak Medals (Meritorious) have been awarded to DIG SK Goyal, Commandant Vivek Vajpayee, Commandant K Janardhanan, Dy Commandant CS Joshi, Pradhan Adhikari R Radhakrishan and Pradhan Yantrik Manoj Kumar Singh for their distinguished and meritorious service.

The Defence Minister will also inspect a ceremonial Guard of Honour and Parade on the occasion.

UNI DG MSJ KN1828