President confers one Kirti Chakra and 14 Shaurya Chakras during Defence Investiture Ceremony

New Delhi, May 31, 2022

President Ram Nath Kovind, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred one Kirti Chakra (Posthumous) and 14 Shaurya Chakras, eight of them posthumous, to personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and State Police during the Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase 2) at Rashtrapati Bhavan here today.

The President also conferred 13 Param Vishisht Seva Medals and 29 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals for distinguished service of exceptional order.

The gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.

The Kirti Chakra was given posthumously to Altaf Hussain Bhat, a constable with the Jammu &Kashmir Police.

J&K Special Police Officer (SPO) Shahbaz Ahmad, CRPF's Cobra force Head Constable Ajeet Singh and constables Vikas Kumar and Purnanand, CRPF's 118 Bn head constable Kuldeep Kumar Urawan, Odisha Police commandos Debasis Sethy and Sudhir Kumar Tudu were conferred the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Varun Singh was also conferred Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

CRPF Deputy Commandant Chitesh Kumar, Sub Inspector Manjinder Singh and constable Sunil Choudhary were also conferred the Shaurya Chakra in one citation.

Other Shaurya Chakra awardees are CRPF's 205 COBRA unit Deputy Commandant Dilip Malik, CRPF's 54 Bn Assistant Commandant Anirudh Pratap Singh, and India Navy's Captain (now Commodore) Sachin Reuben Sequeira.

NNN