Majority of gallantry awards for soldiers posted in J

New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) Soldiers deployed in Jammu and Kashmir took a major chunk of gallantry awards presented this evening.

Out of a total of 26 Kirti Chakras and Shaurya Chakras, 16 went to soldiers deployed in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir.

Except for one soldier, the others were conferred the gallantry awards for taking on insurgents in the North-East.

Two post office personnel -- Dayanand Pandey (Faizabad) and Mohammad Shan Ahmed (Jhansi) in Uttar Pradesh -- besides Tarun Kumar Dutta from Assam were presented with Kirti Chakras (Posthumous) for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.

One of the soldiers -- Naik Rajan Singh -- was awarded Shaurya Chakra for taking on robbers on board Hatia-Delhi-Jharkhand Swarnajayanti Express in Bihar.

The soldiers and officers awarded for displaying indomitable courage and professional acumen in fighting the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir were Naik Radhakrishnan C (Posthumous), Captain Abhinav Handa, Captain Sunil Yadav, Sepoy Rahul (Posthumous), Sapper Shinde Ramachandra Shivaji (Posthumous), Subedar Manohar P, Lance Naik Jyotish Prakash (Posthumous), Company Havildar Ramesh Chandra Pandey, Major Aman Oberoi, Major Sanjay Kumar Tanwar, Rifleman Rais Ahmed Ganai, Lance Naik Ravinder Singh Malik (Posthumous), Sqn Ldr Shantanu Basu (Posthumous), Rifleman Abdul Hamid Chara (Posthumous), BSF Assistant Commandant Anurag Kumar and Major Virender Singh Salaria.

Out of these 15 soldiers, seven received the gallantry awards posthumously.

Those awarded for gallantry for displaying conspicuous valour, raw courage and exceptional close quarter combat skills while fighting the insurgents in the North East were Captain Subash Chand Punia, Major Anshul Shukla, Major Swapneesh Parihar, Major Ishwar Singh Dahiya and Havildar Udar Bhanudas Parvati (Posthumous).

Sgt Jai Prakash Shukla of the Indian Air Force was awarded Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous) for displaying extraordinary courage and valour in saving the lives of fellow citizens.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presented the awards at a solemn ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening.

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