The Hindu : National : Eleven chosen for Ashoka Chakra, 13 for Kirti Chakra

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Eleven chosen for Ashoka Chakra, 13 for Kirti Chakra

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Maharasthra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief and Mumbai Joint Police Commissioner Hemant Kamlakar Karkare, Mumbai Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Marutrao Kamte, National Security Guards (NSG) Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Delhi Police Special Cell Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma are among the 11 persons selected posthumously for the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award.

The awards will be presented by President Pratibha Patil before the commencement of the Republic Day parade at Raj Path here on Monday.

The Ashoka Chakra is awarded to an individual, uniformed or civilian, for the most conspicuous act of bravery, or an act of daring or a pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.

While Mr. Sharma has been selected for his fight against “terrorists” at Jamia Nagar in Delhi on September 19 last, the others have been awarded for their sacrifice during the terrorists attacks in Mumbai on November 26 last.

Mumbai Anti-Extortion Cell (Crime Branch) Inspector Vijay Sahahdev Salaskar, Mumbai police Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Gopal Ombale and NSG Havildar Gajender Singh, who too laid down their lives in the Mumbai terror attacks, have been named for Ashoka Chakra.

The other awardees of the Ashoka Chakra are (all posthumous): Orissa Armed Police’s Special Operations Group Assistant Commandant Pramod Kumar Satapathy and R.P. Diengdoh of Meghalaya police (these two awards were announced during the Independence Day last year); Col. Jojan Thomas, Jat Regiment, 45 Rashtriya Rifles; and Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) 10th battalion Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra.

Kirti Chakra

Thirteen personnel, six of them posthumously, have been named for “Kirti Chakra.” Naik Tape Yajo, 1 Assam Regiment; Nitya Nanda Bora, loco-pilot in charge of the pilot special (Railways); constable Arun Raghonath Chitte, Anti-Extortion Cell (Crime Branch), Mumbai police; constable Ambadas Ramchandra Powar, Security Branch, P 1, Maharashtra Police; Inspector Sashank Chandrasen Shinde, Maharashtra Police; and Maharashtra home guard Mukesh Bhikaji Jadhav have been named for Kirti Chakra posthumously.

The other Kirti Chakra awardees are: Lt.Col. Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, 21 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces); Lt.Col. Osiris Das, Kumaon Regiment, 13 Rashtriya Rifles; Captain Zala Ajitkumar Arshibhai, 2 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces); Captain Paras Limboo, Assam Regiment, 59 Rashtriya Rifles; Subedar Indira Bahadur Pun, 4 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces); Havildar Rale Santosh Tanaji, Maratha Light Infantry, 56 Rashtriya Rifles; and Sapper V. Satish, Corps of Engineers, 51 Special Action Group (NSG).

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