Three BSF jawans get gallantry for retaliating Pak ceasefire violation

New Delhi: Three BSF jawans have been accorded police medal for gallantry, including two posthumously, on the eve of the 70th Independence Day for effectively countering ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border and mounting heavy retaliation that led to silencing of enemy's guns.

While constable Devendra Singh made the supreme sacrifice when he was deployed on his border post in Jammu's Samba sector on January 5 last year, constable Ram Gawaria did so when he and his BSF patrol party were on zero line in the same area on December 31 in 2014.

Seeing Gawaria and his party in trouble, constable Arun Kumar went full throttle and fired from his Medium Machine Gun silencing the opposite Pakistani border post that led to the rescue of the trapped patrol party.

Singh, his citation said, took position amid heavy mortar shelling and fired back on Pakistan posts without caring for his personal safety.

"Due to his effective retaliation, Pak Post was forced to stop firing but adjoining Pak post started firing and targeting BSF locations. Constable Singh who was on camp guard duty kept on alerting/guiding other post personnel and engaging the Pak Ranger with firing.

"Soon after, a mortar bomb landed in vicinity of the camp guard morcha of BSF post where Singh has taken position and because of this he sustained a fatal splinter injury on his head but not before silencing the Rangers guns. Both Gawaria and Kumar too displayed conspicuous bravery in the face of ceasefire violations which had gained menacing proportions last year which led to the straining of ties between the two neighbours.

"Despite grievous bullet injuries Gawaria stood his ground and fired till he breathed his last, exhibiting highest degree of chivalry and courage under heavy odds.

"Owing to his timely action and retaliation, lives of other members of patrol party could be saved," the citation read.

Kumar, who is now a hero of his unit and is called 'giant slayer', displayed "exemplary courage, determination and professionalism" which resulted in killing of a Pakistani Ranger as well as in evacuation of the trapped patrol party of Gawaria and others from the danger zone along the International Border.

The country's largest border guarding force was accorded seven more police medals for gallantry with constable Ali Abbas getting it posthumously for effectively combating militants in Tripura in 2014.

The other men and officers of this 2.5 lakh personnel strong force got the medals for their dare devilry in anti-Naxal operations.

BSF was raised in 1965 and is tasked with guarding the two sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.