Karkare, Kamte and MC Sharma among Ashok Chakra awardees

New Delhi, Jan 25 (ANI): Nine brave hearts including former Chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Hemant Karkare, former Additional Commissioner of Maharastra police, Ashok Kamte and the former Delhi Police Inspector, Mohan Chand Sharma were announced recipients posthumously of the prestigious Ashok Charka award. Their names were announced posthumously today.

Other Ashok Chakra award recipients include Colonel Jojan Thomas of JAT Regiment, Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra of the 10th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, Inspector Vijay Salaskar of Maharastra Police, Asst. Sub-Inspector Tukaram Gopal Ombale of Mahastra police, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan of Bihar Regiment and Havildar Gajendra Singh of Parachute Regiment.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will present the awards at Rajpath before the commencement of Republic Day parade. The awardees also include other names announced in August last year.

The two other names are of the late Assistant Commandant Pramod Kumar Satapathy of Special Operation Group of the Orissa State Armed Police and the late R P Diengdoh of Meghalaya Police.

President Patil has given her consent on 428 awards for the gallantry and other meritorious service awards to the defense and other para-military personnel.

Other announced defense decorations include 13 Kirti Chakras, one Bar Shaurya Chakra, 30 Shaurya Chakras, 91 Sena Gallantry Medals, two Tatrakshak Gallary Medals, three Takrakshak meritorious service medals and 49 Mention-in- Dispatches.

The Ashok Chakra award is treated as equivalent to the Param Vir Chakra. (ANI)