Karkare, Ombale & Sharma among Ashok Chakra awardees

NEW DELHI: Mumbai heroes including slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare and ASI Tukaram Ombale as well as the Delhi police officer M C Sharma, who went down fighting terrorists in the Batla House encounter, are among the 11 officers to be conferred the Ashok Chakra, the country���s highest peace-time gallantry award.

President Pratibha Patil will honour four of the police officials killed in the 26/11 strikes���Karkare, Ombale, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar���besides two other NSG personnel, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havildar Gajendra Singh, who also laid down their lives during Operation Black Tornado. Joining them in the roll of honour are Col Jojan Thomas and Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra of the Indian Army.

Of the 11 names, two were announced last year. They are Assistant Commandant Pramod Kumar Satapathy of the Orissa Armed Police and R P Diengdoh of the Meghalaya Police. All the awards are being given posthumously.

The Ashoka Chakra is awarded to any individual, uniformed or civilian, for the most conspicuous bravery, or some act of daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice otherwise than in the face of the enemy.

The President has also approved the award of 13 Kirti Chakras, 30 Shaurya Chakras, 91 Sena Medals (Gallantry), one Bar to Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), one Bar to Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), four Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, one Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 50 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, five Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Vishisht Seva Medals, 122 Vishisht Seva Medals, one Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 40 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), eight Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty) and 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty).

The recipients of the Kirti Chakra, the second-highest gallantry award in peacetime, are Lt Col Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, Lt Col Osiris Das, Capt. Zala Ajitkumar Arshibhai, Capt. Paras Limboo, Subedar Indra Bahadur Pun, Havildar Rale Santosh Tanaji, Naik Tape Yajo (posthumous), Nitya Nanda Bora (posthumous), Sapper V Sathish, Arun Raghonath Chitte (posthumous), Ambadas Ramchandra Powar (posthumous), Sashank Chandrasen Shinde (posthumous) and Mukesh Bhikaji Jadhav (posthumous).

Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar were killed by the Mumbai terrorists while on the way on the Cama Hospital on November 26. Ombale showed exceptional courage by taking five bullets while his colleagues overpowered Mohammad Ajmal Kasab and managed to capture him alive.

Ombale���s bravery has helped India build a strong case against Pakistan. The award for MC Sharma should lay to rest any controversies regarding the genuiness of the Batla House encounter. It will also deny opportunity for politicos like Arjun Singh to suggest that the government leadership agrees with their demand for a probe into police action against the Delhi attackers.