Gallantry awards for 31 armymen

Jhansi:

The valiant and gallant past of Jhansi Fort came alive on January 15 with the Southern Command Investiture Ceremony wherein 31 brave soldiers of the Indian Army were presented with gallantry and distinguished awards. These awards were presented by Lieutenant General AK Singh, GOC-in-C Southern Command.

Among the award winners, three awardees belong to Andhra Pradesh and two belong to Karnataka.  Brigadier VV Reddy and Lance Naik Guruprasad from Andhra Pradesh have been awarded “Vishist Seva Medal” for their dedication to duty. Captain Venkata Sudheer Babu P of Dogra Regiment also from Andhra Pradesh was awarded “Sena Medal Gallantry” for his display of courage and bravery while combating terrorists in Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir.     

From Karnataka Maj Tejus M, of Engineers Group from Bangalore was awarded with “Sena Medal Gallantry” for his valiant act in Kupwara district in Jammu & Kashmir and Col Rajeev K Babu of Sikh Regiment hailing from Belgaum has been awarded “Vishisht Seva Medal” for his dedication to duty.

The White Tiger Division based at Jhansi hosted the event on behalf of the Southern Command. The venue selected was symptomatic of the rich legacy of Bundelkhand, replete with saga of bravery and amply exhibited by the valiant men of the Indian Army. 

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav and Chief Secretary UP Javed Usmania along with many other eminent personalities graced the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Yadav said that “the Jhansi Fort stands as a symbol of spirit of heroism and the gallant deeds of the award winners today is an example of the same spirit”. Lieutenant General AK Singh, Southern Army Commander while interacting with the media said that these awards were not only an appreciation for the awardees but also for their units and the comrades who were with them during their achievements.

He further added that this was indeed a proud moment for the families of the awardees.

SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)

CAPTAIN VENKATA SUDHEER BABU P,DOGRA REGIMENT

On 30 September 2010, at 0900 hours information was received regarding infiltration of terrorists by a company deployed near the Line of Control in Kupwara District, J&K. Immediately Major Shekhawat led a search party with Captain Sudheer and cordoned off the target area.

On 01 October 2010 at 1030 hours, the party came under effective fire of a terrorist who was then eliminated. However, at 1110 hours, the terrorists fired indiscriminately at the search parties wounding the Captain Sudheer grievously.  Major Shekhawat along with Lance Naik Raghbir managed to extricate             Captain Sudheer to safety.  However they themselves came under intense fire from terrorists hiding behind boulders 100 meters away.  Captain Sudheer Babu P despite being wounded, sensing criticality of situation and braving thick volley of fire crawled towards the terrorist and lobbed a grenade across the boulder.  The terrorist jumped away and started firing.  The officer with utter disregard to personal safety charged forward and shot him at close range.  Wounded Captain Sudheer was later evacuated by Naib Subedar Manohar Lal.

          For this gallant act of raw courage, exceptional bravery and camaraderie and total disregard for his personal safety, Captain Venkata Sudeer Babu P is awarded ‘SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)’.

MAJOR TEJUS M, CORPS OF ENGINEERS /BATTALION THE RASHTRIYA RIFLES

Major Tejus M a Corps of Engineer officer was posted to a Rashtriya Rifle Battalion deployed in Kupwara District, J&K. On 15 Apr 2011 at 2345 hours during a patrol he observed suspicious movement of a terrorist near a village in Kupwara.

The officer immediately rushed with his party of four to the location. When within twenty meters of distance he drew two bursts of effective fire from the terrorist.  With utter disregard to personal safety, he closed in and fired to seriously incapacitate the terrorist. His surgical strike combined with aggressive speed caught the terrorist by surprise. While engaging the terrorist with effective fire, the officer prevented his escape by immediately setting a tight cordon with the Quick Reaction Teams of his company.  In the ensuing fire fight the terrorist was successfully eliminated.

For this most conspicuous act of valour and swift action at night which resulted in the elimination of one hard core terrorist, Major Tejus M has been awarded “SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)”