By IANS,
New Delhi : The following are the citations for the 11 posthumous Ashok Chakras President Pratibha Patil will award Monday on the occasion of Republic Day:
* Col. Jojan Thomas (Jat Regiment/45 Rashtriya Rifles – posthumous): On 22nd August 2008, at about 3.30 am, Colonel Jojan Thomas, Commanding Officer of 45 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion deployed in Jammu and Kashmir established contact with a group of terrorists.
Colonel Thomas immediately rushed to the area with available troops and soon a fierce firefight ensued. Leading from the front, Colonel Thomas eliminated two terrorists from close quarters. In the process he sustained severe gun shot wounds. In spite of this, he engaged the third terrorist in a fierce hand-to-hand fight before eliminating him.
Colonel Jojan Thomas displayed exemplary leadership and exceptional gallantry in eliminating three hardcore terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
* Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra (10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) – posthumous): Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra was the squad commander of an assault team deployed for a search operation in general area Lawanz of Jammu and Kashmir.
On 25th September 2008, at 6.15 pm, he observed a group of terrorists and moved quickly to intercept them. In the process, he came under heavy hostile fire. Undaunted, he charged at the terrorists and killed one of them. However, he suffered severe gun shot wounds. Refusing evacuation, he continued with the assault and killed two more terrorists at extremely close range.
Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra, thus, displayed most conspicuous bravery and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in fighting the terrorists.
* Maj. Sandeep Unnikrishnan (Bihar Regiment/51 Special Action Group NSG – posthumous): Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan led the commando operation launched on 27th November 2008 to flush out terrorists from Hotel Taj Mahal, Mumbai in which he rescued 14 hostages.
During the operation, his team came under intense hostile fire, in which one of his team members got grievously injured. Major Sandeep pinned down the terrorists with accurate fire and rescued the injured commando to safety. In the process, he was shot in his right arm. Despite his injuries, he continued to fight the terrorists till his last breath.
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan displayed most conspicuous bravery besides camaraderie and leadership of the highest order and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
* Havildar Gajender Singh (Parachute Regiment/51 Special Action Group NSG – posthumous): In the night of 27th November 2008, Havildar Gajender Singh was leading his squad in the operation to rescue hostages from the terrorists at Nariman House, Mumbai.
After clearing the top floor of the terrorists, he reached the place where the terrorists had taken position. As he closed in, the terrorists hurled a grenade injuring him. Undeterred, he kept firing and closing in on the terrorists by exposing himself to the hostile fire. In the act, he injured one of the terrorists and forced the others to retreat inside a room. He continued the encounter till he succumbed to his injuries.
Havildar Gajender Singh displayed most conspicuous courage against grave odds and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in combating the terrorists.
* Hemant Kamlakar Karkare (Joint Commissioner Of Police, Maharashtra – posthumous): On 26th November 2008 at 9:40 PM, Shri Hemant Kamlakar Karkare, Joint Commissioner of Police and Chief of the Anti-Terrorist Squad, received information about a terrorist attack at Chhatrapati Sivaji Terminus Railway Station, Mumbai.
Acting swiftly, Shri Karkare dispatched teams to plug the possible escape routes and himself along with a small team rushed to Cama Hospital where the terrorists had moved by then. A firefight ensued between the terrorists and the police team. As a result, the terrorists were forced to change their position. Shri Karkare pursued the terrorists but in the process his jeep got ambushed and he was critically injured. He however, continued to lead the operation and succeeded in injuring one of the terrorists.
Shri Hemant Kamlakar Karkare displayed courage and leadership of the highest order in fighting the terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
* Tukaram Gopal Ombale (Assistant Sub-Inspector Of Police, Maharashtra – posthumous): On 26th November 2008, Shri Tukaram Gopal Ombale, Asstt. Sub Inspector of Police was on night duty at D.B. Marg Police Station when the terrorist attack in Mumbai took place.
Around midnight, a wireless message was flashed that two terrorists were moving towards Marine Drive in a car. Shri Ombale immediately positioned barricades to block its passage. As soon the car stopped, one of the terrorists inside the car opened fire. Shri Ombale in a daring act rushed to the left side of the car and pounced on one of the terrorists in order to snatch his AK-47 rifle. In the process he got seriously injured and later succumbed to his injuries.
Shri Tukaram Gopal Ombale showed raw grit and unparalleled courage in making his supreme sacrifice while fighting the terrorists.
* Ashok Marutrao Kamte (Additional Commissioner Of Police, Maharashtra – posthumous): On 26th November 2008, ten heavily armed terrorists launched simultaneous attacks at various places in Mumbai.
Shri Ashok Marutrao Kamte, Addl. Commissioner of Police was part of the police team which rushed to Cama Hospital where the terrorists had moved in. A firefight ensued between the terrorist and the police team. As a result, the terrorists were forced to change their position. The Police team pursued the terrorists but in the process their jeep got ambushed and Shri Kamte was critically injured. He however, continued the fight and played key role in injuring one of the terrorists.
Shri Ashok Marutrao Kamte displayed courage and leadership of the highest order in fighting the terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
* Vijay Shahadev Salaskar (Inspector, Anti- Extortion Cell Of Crime Branch, Maharashtra – posthumous): On 26th November 2008, ten heavily armed terrorists launched simultaneous attacks at various places in Mumbai.
Shri Vijay Shahadev Salaskar, Inspector, Anti Extortion Cell of Crime Branch was part of the police team rushed to Cama Hospital where the terrorists had moved in. A firefight ensued between the terrorist and the police team. As a result, the terrorists were forced to change their position. The police team pursued the terrorists but in the process their jeep got ambushed and Shri Kamte and Shri Salaskar was critically injured. He however, continued the fight and played key role in injuring one of the terrorists.
Shri Vijay Shahadev Salaskar showed raw grit and unparalleled courage against grave odds and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
* Mohan Chand Sharma (Inspector, Delhi Police – posthumous): On 19th September 2008, Shri Mohan Chand Sharma, Inspector, Delhi Police received specific information that a suspected person wanted in connection with the serial bomb blasts in Delhi was hiding in a flat in Batla House area of Jamia Nagar, New Delhi.
Shri Sharma leading a seven-member team quickly reached the identified flat. As soon as he entered the flat he received the first burst of fire from the terrorists holed up inside the flat. Undaunted, he returned the fire. In the ensuing exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed and one captured.
Shri Mohan Chand Sharma showed exemplary courage and devotion to duty in fighting the terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
* R.P. Diengdoh (Meghalaya Police – posthumous): On 6th November 2007, information was received that about ten militants, armed with automatic rifles and a huge quantity of explosives have set up a camp in the jungles of Meghalaya.
Shri R.P. Diengdoh volunteered to lead the police party in the operations against the militants. The police party reached the site the next day just before dawn and charged into the camp to flush out the militants. The militants opened heavy fire on the assault team. Shri Diengdoh boldly returned the fire and shot dead one militant. However, he was hit by a bullet. Unmindful of the grave injury, he continued to lead the team and managed to capture two dreaded militants.
Shri R.P. Diengdoh displayed exemplary dedication to duty and pre-eminent valour in making the supreme sacrifice while fighting the militants.
* Assistant Commandant Pramod Kumar Satapathy (Training incharge, Special Operation Group Orissa State Armed Police – posthumous): In the night of 15th February 2008 about 500 heavily armed Naxalites carried out simultaneous attacks on police at various locations in and around Bhubaneswar looting many weapons and killing several police personnel. Thereafter, they hid in nearby jungles.
Assistant Commandant Shri Pramod Kumar Satapathy of the Special Operation Group along with a mere 20 police personnel reached the elevated position taken by the naxalites inside the jungle and immediately mounted an assault on them. The Naxalites retaliated with heavy fire on the police team and in a fierce encounter lasting for about two hours. Shri Satapathy led the operations with exemplary courage before making the supreme sacrifice.
Shri Pramod Kumar Satapathy displayed highest degree of bravery and dedication to duty in the fight against Naxalites.