Assistant Sub-inspector Babu Ram, AC (1972–2020) was a

Police Officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

of the Special Operations Group (SOG)

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

, who was awarded the highest peace time gallantry award, the

Ashok Chakra Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

Early life

Ram was born on May 15, 1972 in Dharana village in the Poonch district of

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...

region's Mendhar district, had aspired to join the armed services since he was a child.

Police career

After completing his education, he was assigned as a constable in the J&K Police in 1999. On July 27, 2002, he was assigned to the Special Operations Group (SOG) in

, where he participated in numerous anti-terror operations in which a number of hardcore terrorists were killed. During his time in the anti-insurgency unit he took part in 14 battles in which 28 terrorists were killed. Babu Ram was a frequent frontrunner in counter-terrorist operations and he also received a premature promotion for his gallantry and conscientiousness.

Gallantly Action

J&K Police officers and security forces were checking vehicles travelling through Pantha-Chowk. Three terrorists then arrived on a moped and attacked a

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

force member who was standing by the highway, taking his weapon and opening fire on the police and security forces indiscriminately. After the attack, the terrorists entered Dhobhi Mohalla in Pantha-Chowk. Immediately, the area was cordoned off and search operation was launched. ASI Ram was part of the advance party who launched an assault against holed up terrorists, the terrorists then opened fire at the joint search party, triggering an encounter. The encounter ended with the elimination of three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including a commander. However, Ram was killed in this exchange.

Ashok Chakra

On the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day, the late recipient was awarded the Ashok Chakra by then-President

Ram Nath Kovind Ram Nath Kovind (; born 1 October 1945) is an Indian politician who served as the 14th President of India from 2017 to 2022. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is the second person after K. R. Narayanan, from the Dalit community ...

in recognition of his exceptional courage, dedication, and conscientiousness. The award was posthumously presented to the recipient's family by the

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

on Republic Day 2022.

References

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ASI Babu RAM Biography in Hindi - https://hindiyojna.in/asi-babu-ram-biography-in-hindi/
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ram, Babu 1972 births 2020 deaths Recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (military decoration) Ashoka Chakra Pahari Pothwari people People from Poonch district, India