Ranchi/Dumka, Jan. 25: Two years ago, the then sub-divisional police officer of Palamau, Navin Kumar Sinha, led a team that busted a Maoist squad, five days after a Republic Day attack on the Hariharganj police station and the Palamau DSP’s home.

In his team were the then officers-in-charge of Navdiha and Hariharganj police stations, Manoj Kumar Rai and Anil Kumar Singh.

Almost two years to the date later, Sinha, Rai and Singh figured in the list of 13 police officers from the state who won the police medal for gallantry, announced by the home ministry on the eve of Republic Day.

Superintendent of police, Dumka, Arun Kumar Singh, won the prestigious President’s police medal for distinguished service, the only official from the state to do so.

Sudhir Chandra Jha, a jailer from Daltonganj, was awarded the correctional service medal in recognition of his service in jails over the last 30 years.

Ten personnel, including additional director general of police Asha Sinha and JAP-6 commandant Jitendra Kumar Singh, won the police medals for meritorious service.

The meritorious service winners also included police superintendent Amarjit Balihar, who heads the chief minister’s security team.

Deputy superintendent of police in the special branch, Ashok Kumar, sergeant major of Central Store, Hotwar, Ashok Kumar Pathak, sergeant major of headquarter, Ashok Kumar Singh, assistant sub-inspector of photo section of special branch, Avijit Ghosh, assistant sub-inspector of special branch Vijay Prasad Sharma, JAP-I havildars Gopal Bahadur Pradhan and Bharat Kumar Gurung were the other meritorious service medal winners.

Both Balihar and Arun Kumar Singh, who were present in Dumka today, expressed happiness on winning their respective awards. Singh had earlier won the police medal for meritorious service. Between 2000 and 2003, Balihar was the sub-divisional police officer of Latehar, where he carried out successful drives against Maoist rebels.