Assistant Sub Inspector in CRPF, Mohan Lal, who died in the Pulwama terror attack, will be awarded the President's Medal for Gallantry posthumously on Republic Day this year. This is the highest police medal for gallantry awarded in India.
Lal was the first person to spot the suicide car moving alongside the CRPF convoy on 14 February 2019 and fired to stop the car before it rammed into the bus in the convoy, reported The Times of India. He was among the 40 CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the attack.
Only other person is receiving the Gallantry honour apart from Lal is Jharkhand Police ASI Vanua Oraon.
The Central government on the eve of 26 January announced a total of 207 police bravery medals apart from 89 President's police medals for distinguished service and 650 police medals for meritorious service, as per a list published by the Union Home Ministry.
According to NDTV, the CRPF said Lal noticed a car “running alongside the convoy and trying to enter between the convoy vehicles.”
The official then "signalled and chased the car to stop but could not match its speed".
"Ultimately, finding no other option, he fired towards the suspicious car to stop but the car rammed into a nearby running CRPF bus and a huge blast took place," the CRPF said, the news channel reported.
The CRPF led the gallantry medals tally with a total 69 medals, followed by 52 earned by the JK Police, 20 by the Border Security Force, 17 by the Delhi Police and 13 by Maharashtra Police and others.
(With inputs from NDTV)
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