Galwan hero Colonel BS Babu posthumously gets Mahavir Chakra

New Delhi: Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment who led from the front against the Chinese attack in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley in June last year, was on Tuesday posthumously awarded Mahavir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind for displaying exemplary courage during the hand-to-hand combat.

Babu's wife B Santoshi and mother Manjula received the award at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the top military brass of the country.

Mahavir Chakra is the second highest wartime gallantry award after the ParamVir Chakra. Four other soldiers, NaibSubedarNuduram Soren, Havildar (Gunner) K Palani, Naik Deepak Singh and SepoyGurtej Singh, who also laid down their lives valiantly fighting the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley clash on June 15 last year, have been honoured with the Vir Chakra award posthumously.

Havildar Tejinder Singh of the 3 Medium Regiment, who was part of the Indian Army team at Galwan Valley clash and survived the combat, has also been conferred with the Vir Chakra award.

Vir Chakra is the country's third highest wartime gallantry award. Naib Soren's wife Laxmi Mani Soren, Havildar Palani's wife Vanathi Devi and Naik Singh's wife, Rekha Singh, received the award from the President. SepoyGurtej Singh's mother Prakash Kaur and father Virsa Singh received the Vir Chakra from the President.

Twenty Indian Army personnel had laid down their lives in the fierce hand-to-hand combat in eastern Ladakh'sGalwan Valley clash, an incident that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher.

The RashtrapatiBhavan, in a tweet, said Col Babu displayed exemplary leadership, astute professionalism and conspicuous bravery in the face of the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.