15 personnel of the NDRF and ITBP who were killed in a helicopter crash while rendering rigorous rescue operations in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods tragedy, have been awarded the Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) for making "supreme sacrifice" for their countrymen.
The awards were given posthumously on the eve of the Republic day here.
The recognition of the yeoman and brave services of these martyrs was questioned and long-awaited after five other personnel from the Indian Air Force who met similar fate in the same accident were decorated with military medals for gallantry last year.
While all the personnel hailed from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), nine were on deputation to the National Disaster Response Police Force (NDRF) during the incident, as they were tasked to undertake relief and rescue operations with the rain and flood battering the hill state.
"All team members, without caring for their personal safety did courageous and commendable task and saved the lives of thousands of pilgrims and locals. Therefore, in consideration of their act of conspicuous bravery, outstanding performance, astute spirit to help the helpless, dedication to self-less duty and supreme sacrifice made by them by laying down their life for countrymen, they are being awarded the PMG," their citation stated.
The awardees of this second-highest police gallantry medal include Second-in-Command Nitya Nand Gupta, Inspector Bhim Singh, Sub-Inspectors Satish Kumar and Jayendra Prasad Constables K Vinaygan, B Yaragatti, Santosh K Paswan, Sanjiv A Kumar, Pawar S K Ramesh, Ahir Rao Ganesh, Nand Ram, Bibhuti Roy, Sarvesh Kumar, Jomon PG and Ajay Lal.
These personnel were martyred on June 25, 2013 when their Mi-17-V5 chopper went down in bad weather in Gaurikund near the Kedarnath valley killing all 20 men in uniform.
These men provided succour, evacuated the trapped and ensured food and water to thousands of pilgrims and others for close to a week as they were trapped near Kedarnath because of massive floods. They were on their way back to their base camp in Gauchar when the tragic crash claimed thier lives.
