NEW DELHI: An unarmed Sepoy who chased a terrorist, snatched his assault weapon and killed him during the Pathankot terror attack, and a para commando who was part of three critical operations in Kashmir, in which 12 terrorists were killed, will be posthumously awarded top gallantry medals on Republic Day.

Sepoy Jagdish Chand, who belonged to the Defence Service Corps (DSC), will be conferred with the Kirti Chakra, the country’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, for killing one of the terrorists that had stormed the DSC mess at the Pathankot airbase on January 2.

Chand, a cook, was one of the seven security personnel killed in the attack.

The country’s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashoka Chakra, will be given to Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of 9 Para (Special Forces), who killed two terrorists and assisted in neutralising another two during an operation in Haphruda forest of J&K’s Kupwara district’s last September.

Despite being hit by bullets, Goswami helped save the lives of three of his wounded colleagues. The 365 gallantry awards and other decorations approved by the President this Republic Day include one Ashoka Chakra, four Kirti Chakras and 11 Shaurya Chakras. The other Kirti Chakra awardees are Subedar Mahendra Singh of 9 Para (SF), head constable Rajesh Atra and constable Gautam Koch (Posthumous).

Colonel Santosh Yashwant Mahadik, who led his troops from the front and was killed in a gun battle with terrorists in Kupwara last November, has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra. Two ITBP personnel will be awarded the police medal for gallantry for their role in the September, 2014, border standoff with China in the Ladakh region — assistant commandant Deepak Singh and head constable Kanwar Singh.

Kirti Chakra for DSC Pathankot braveheart

Vijay Mohan,Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 25

Sepoy Jagdish Chand of the Defence Security Corps (DSC), who died while grappling with terrorists during the Pathankot attack earlier this month, has been decorated posthumously with the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award.He is among the two heroes from the Western Command who have been awarded for bravery. Lance Naik Naresh Singh Rajput of the Rajputana Rifles has been decorated with the Sena Medal (Gallantry) for his acts during the terrorist encounter in Dinanagar near Pathankot in July last year. The awards have been announced on the eve of the 67th Republic Day.Jagdish Chand was working in the mess in the wee hours of January 2, when terrorists struck under the cover of darkness. Despite being caught unawares, he tackled one of the terrorists, snatched his weapon and shot him. In the meantime, he was fired upon and fell to other terrorists’ bullets. He was among the first security personnel to engage the terrorists.Hailing from Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, he served in the Dogra Regiment and after retiring in 2009, he was re-employed with the DSC, which is deployed on security duties at military establishments. He had been transferred to Pathankot from Leh last month and had joined duty just a day before the incident after returning from a 10-day leave.