New DelhiGujarati bus driver Sheikh Salim Ghafur, who defied bullets and saved 52 Amarnath pilgrims, has been awarded the ‘Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak’, the second highest honour given to civilians for gallantry.
This was announced by the Union Home Ministry ahead of the Republic Day today.
Ghafur has been selected for the honour as he displayed some rare grit and bravery and continued to drive the bus of the Amarnath pilgrims, which came under attack by militants on July 10, 2017, in Jammu and Kashmir, a home ministry official said.
Seven Amarnath pilgrims were killed and 14 others injured in the attack on the bus Ghafur was driving near Batengoo in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, while around 52 other bus passengers escaped unharmed due to the presence of mind and bravery of the driver.
Besides, the award, Ghafur will also be honoured with Rs one lakh cash at a special function later.
A total of 107 police gallantry medals have been given this year to police personnel with the maximum for Jammu and Kashmir Police (38 medals), followed by CRPF (35 awards), Chhattisgarh (10), Maharashtra (7), Telangana (6) among others.
These also include 5 IPS officers.
The data shows that the maximum gallantry awards were given to security personnel involved in counter-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir. -agencies
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