Havildar Hangpan Dada, who sacrificed his life while valiantly fighting and killing four terrorists after they infiltrated from Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) into Kashmir, Pathankot bravehearts lt Col Niranjan, and Corporal Gurusevak Singh are among the 82 defence and paramilitary personnel honoured with gallantry awards on the eve of Independence Day on Sunday.
Dada has been bestowed with Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peace-time gallantry award. lt Col Niranjan EK, head of NSG’s bomb disposal unit who was killed while sanitising a terrorist’s body during the Pathankot airbase terror attack in January, has been honoured with the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal of the country.
Dada (36) hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, eliminated four intruding terrorists before laying down his life at a height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of North Kashmir on May 27 this year.
lt Col Niranjan was part of the special NSG commandos unit that was rushed to the IAF base after four terrorists entered the high-security military facility on the intervening night of January 1-2. NSG had said it lost the experienced and brilliant counter-IED officer to a deadly booby trap.