THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A total of 20 officers in uniform from the state have been awarded service medals on the occasion of Independence Day. This include 10 police officers, seven fire and rescue department officers and three prisons department officers. Crime Branch head ADGP H Venkatesh was awarded the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM), while nine officers won the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM).
The MSM winners are Najeeb S, SP and assistant director of Technical and Motor Transport Studies, Kerala Police Academy; Feroz M Shafeeque, additional SP, Malappuram; P Raj Kumar, assistant commissioner, Ernakulam; A Pratheep Kumar, assistant commissioner, Special Branch, Kollam City; Sinoj T S, DySP, Guruvayoor; Sreekumar M K, inspector, State Special Branch Headquarters; Rajesh Kumar S L, sub-inspector, Crime Branch Headquarters; O Mohandas, sub-inspector, Kozhikode City; Santhosh C R, sub-inspector, Karimanal police station, Idukki.
From the fire and rescue service, Biju V K, station officer; Shaji Kumar, station officer and Dinesan C V, senior fire and rescue officer won the PSM. The MSM awardees are C K Muraleedharan, station officer; Divukumar K, senior fire and rescue officer, Byju K, senior fire and rescue officer and Sujayan K, fire and rescue officer.