Gallantry medal to UP STF personnel who killed gangster Atiq Ahmed’s son
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 14
The Special Task Force (STF) members who killed Uttar Pradesh gangster Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad and shooter Mohammad Ghulam in an encounter last year in April have been awarded the Gallantry Medal.
While 31 police personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir have been given the Gallantry Medal, seven from Punjab have also received the honour. No one from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the UT of Chandigarh has been awarded the medal.
A total of 1,037 gallantry and service medals were announced by the Home Ministry for personnel of police, fire, home guard and civil defence (HG&CD) and correctional services for the year 2024 on Wednesday.
Among the paramilitary forces, the CRPF received the highest number of 52 medals, while the Sashastra Seema Bal got 14 Gallantry Medals, CISF received 10 and the BSF got six of them.
The STF team had killed Asad and Ghulam in an encounter in Jhansi on April 13, 2023. Both men were wanted in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj, and each carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on their heads.
On April 15, mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead by assailants while interacting with the media.
The President’s Medal for Gallantry (PMG) and Medal for Gallantry (GM) are awarded on the grounds of rare conspicuous act of gallantry and conspicuous act of gallantry, respectively in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals, the risk incurred being estimated with due regard to the obligations and duties of the officer concerned, the MHA said in a statement.
The PMG has been awarded to Chaduvu Yadaiah, the Head Constable of Telangana Police, who showed rare gallantry in the case of a robbery that occurred on July 25, 2022.
Two notorious individuals, Ishan Niranjan Neelamnalli and Rahul, were involved in chain snatching and arms dealing. On July 26, 2022, the police apprehended these criminals, but they viciously attacked Head Constable Chaduvu Yadaiah with a knife and repeatedly stabbed him in various parts of his body resulting in bleeding. Despite severe injuries, he managed to catch and hold on to them, resulting in their apprehension. He was hospitalised for 17 days.
Of 213 Medals for Gallantry (GM), 208 GM have been awarded to police personnel, including 31 of J&K Police, 17 each from UP and Maharashtra, 15 from Chhattisgarh, 12 from Madhya Pradesh, 7 each from Jharkhand, Punjab and Telangana.
