CRPF Officer Among Pulwama Attack Victims to Receive President’s Police Medal for Gallantry
Srinagar, January 25, KNT: A Central Reserve Police Force officer who was among the 40 personnel killed in the Lethpora Pulwama suicide attack in 2019 was posthumously awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry during the Republic Day honours announced in 2021, officials said.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohan Lal was selected for the gallantry award for attempting to stop and shoot the suicide bomber moments before the attack that targeted a CRPF convoy on the Srinagar Jammu National Highway.
The officer was among the CRPF personnel killed in the February 14, 2019 suicide bombing near Lethpora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in the region.
Officials said Mohan Lal displayed courage by attempting to intercept the attacker when a vehicle carrying explosives rammed into a CRPF bus that was part of a convoy travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.
The blast killed more than 40 CRPF personnel and injured several others, triggering widespread condemnation and escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
According to officials, Mohan Lal was among 131 CRPF personnel selected for various police honours on the occasion of Republic Day 2021.
The awards included the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service, recognising acts of bravery, dedication and service within the force.
The Pulwama attack remains one of the most significant militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. Authorities had said that a suspected militant drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus near Lethpora along the Srinagar Jammu highway, resulting in heavy casualties among the security personnel travelling in the convoy. [KNT]
