New Delhi, Apr 9: CRPF ASI Mohan Lal, who was killed while attempting to thwart the February 2019 Pulwama terror attack on a force bus, and NDRF Director General (DG) Atul Karwal were decorated with police gallantry medals at an event held here on Saturday.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla pinned the medal on Karwal’s uniform, while he gave the medal, awarded posthumously, to Lal’s wife Sarita Devi during the “Valour Day” of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Lal (50) was among the 40 personnel killed during the Pulwama attack on a CRPF bus on February 14, 2019
He was the picket commander of the CRPF road-opening party deployed at milestone number 272, near the BSNL tower in Pulwama’s Lethpora along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, when the dastardly attack was carried out by proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
The car that rammed into the CRPF bus was being driven by suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar with about 200 kg of explosives stuffed inside.
Lal’s citation said after a few vehicles of a CRPF cavalcade passed, the slain personnel noticed the car “running alongside the convoy and trying to enter between the convoy vehicles”.
The brave official “signalled and chased the car to stop but could not match its speed”.
“Ultimately, finding no other option, he fired towards the suspicious car from his AK rifle to stop it but the car rammed into a nearby running CRPF bus and a huge blast took place,” the citation read.
The sub-officer, who belonged to the 110th battalion of the force, was decorated with the highest President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) for displaying bravery during the incident.
