CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah after getting discharged from AIIMS in New Delhi. File Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 20

Central Reserve Police Force commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah, who won the battle against death and survived after receiving nine bullets, is again ready to defend the nation and face the challenges on the ground. He resumed duty at the CRPF Headquarters in New Delhi last week.On February 14, 2017, during an anti-insurgency operation in the Hajin area of Bandipora in north Kashmir, Cheetah had received nine bullets on his body and was critically injured. He had to undergo multiple surgeries and it was miraculous that he survived the bullet injuries.“I want youth to give their 100 per cent to the country — that is what I have done. The duty which I had… I could have escaped, but I faced the bullets,” Chetan Cheetah said in New Delhi.The braveheart’s survival is becoming a motivational story for the security forces personnel, especially those working in Jammu and Kashmir. “Chetan Cheetah’s story and bravery, especially his fight against all odds and resuming duty within a year of the incident, are an inspiration for the entire force. It was his internal strength which enabled him to get back in action,” said Ashish Kumar Jha, Public Relations Officer, CRPF, Jammu.Cheetah is still undergoing physiotherapy to improve sensation in his hand. For his bravery, Cheetah received Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award.Once the brave commandant is fully fit, the CRPF is planning to bring him back to Jammu and Kashmir and use his experience in the militancy-torn state. “Chetan Cheetah is already a motivational force for all. We want to bring him back to the state and motivate the youth to join the force,” Jha said