R-Day: 2 off-duty CISF men, CRPF constable who died rescuing senior awarded medals for saving lives

An off-duty CISF officer who took control of the wheels of a speeding public transport bus after its driver lost consciousness and an inspector of the force who leapt into the Narmada canal in Gujarat to save a man from drowning are among the heroes awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padak on the eve of the 75th Republic Day.

The Union home ministry released their names and citations on Wednesday.

The Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for a meritorious act of human nature in saving a life.

The award is given in three categories -- Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak -- and persons from all walks of life are eligible for these awards.

Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) Sooraj R has been awarded the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak posthumously as he ''sacrificed his life to rescue his team commander from the torrential currents of water in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh''. CISF Assistant Commandant Sonu Sharma was travelling from Haldwani to Delhi in a state transport bus on May 19 last year when ''he noticed that the bus driver had lost consciousness due to intoxication, causing the vehicle to spiral out of control and accelerate to a dangerous speed of approximately 100 km per hour''. The officer, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said in a statement, took control of the wheel and navigated the bus to a controlled stop on the roadside.

''Due to his wisdom, immediate response, and collaborative efforts with others on board, Sharma's decisive actions resulted in the saving of 55 precious lives,'' the force said.

The second incident involving another off-duty CISF personnel took place on June 3, 2022 in Adalaj village of Gandhinagar.

Inspector Sher Singh, posted at the Ahmedabad airport unit, was passing through the Narmada canal in the said village when he heard desperate cries for help and saw a young man struggling in the deep waters of the canal.

He plunged into the canal, swiftly reaching the drowning individual, and with incredible presence of mind and strength, managed to bring him to safety.

The Inspector plunged into the 55-feet deep canal and with ''incredible presence of mind and strength, managed to bring the drowning to safety,'' the statement said.

It was gathered later that the man fell into the canal while feeding fishes with a friend.

The heroic action of the official ''not only saved a life but also showcased the exemplary commitment of CISF personnel to safeguarding the well-being of individuals beyond the call of duty''. The CISF, with about 1.80 lakh personnel in its ranks, guards 68 civil airports apart from installations in the nuclear and aerospace domain. The force has recently been inducted for Parliament security in Delhi.

Telangana Police driver Naveen Kumar D has been awarded the Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak for saving more than 40 people from a blaze in the Khammam district of the state but he lost his left leg in this gas explosion.