Ashok Chakra For Odisha Cop, Sacrificed Life Fighting Maoists
- 14-Oct-2018
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New Delhi: An officer of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Odisha Police has been conferred with the Ashok Chakra for sacrificing his life while fighting the Maoists, Home Ministry officials said on Sunday.
Assistant Commandant Pramod Kumar Satpathy was conferred with the award posthumously. He laid down his life on February 16, 2008 during a gunfight between the security forces and the Maoists in the Gosama forest of Ganjam district and adjoining areas of Phulbani district.
In recognition of his heroism and bravery, Satpathy was awarded the gallantry medal Ashok Chakra posthumously, a Home Ministry official said.
Satapathy (43) was training in charge of the Special Operation Group of Orissa State Armed Police at Chandaka. He had rushed to Nayagarh along with 20 available men on motorcycles soon after hearing the news that heavily armed Naxalites had attacked police establishments and looted a huge cache of arms at 10.30 pm on February 15, 2008.
On receiving information about the movement of the militants, Satapathy quickly made out a plan and with available forces of SOG, OSAP and CRPF followed the Naxalites into the jungle.
There were about 200-300 Naxalites in an elevated location and they were about to escape. Satapathy mounted an assault on the Naxalites. The Naxalites, in turn, unleashed a heavy fire on the police team.
In this encounter that continued for about two hours, the police party had to retreat. Satapathy fought bravely till his last breath and laid down his life in fighting the militants. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from the site.
On getting information of hide-out of Naxalites, Satpathy along with two SOG teams chased and continued firing about four hours for which the rebels could not be able to escape. It was the courageous fight for which a huge amount of arms and ammunition were recovered from the ultras and later he fell to bullet injuries.
The Ashok Chakra is the country’s military award for valour, courage action and self-sacrifice. It is first in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards.
