R-Day 2022: Highest Peacetime Gallantry Award Ashok Chakra Awarded To J&K ASI Babu Ram Posthumously

The top gallantry award was approved by the President on the eve of the 75th Independence Day for Babu Ram, who was from the Special Operations Group of JKP, on the eve of Independence Day 2021.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Babu Ram's wife Reema Rani and his son Manik Sharma receive Ashok Chakra from President Kovind | Image Courtesy: DD News 

New Delhi: Assistant Sub-Inspector Babu Ram who lost his life in an encounter with terrorists at Pantha Chowk in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar in 2020 has been awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. His family received the award during the Republic Day Parade 2022 today.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Babu Ram's wife Reema Rani and his son Manik Sharma received the Ashok Chakra from President Kovind. 

Ashok Chakra is the country’s highest peace-time gallantry award. Babu Ram killed three terrorists during an operation in Srinagar on August 29, 2020. 

The top gallantry award was approved by the President on the eve of the 75th Independence Day for Babu Ram, who was from the Special Operations Group of JKP, on the eve of Independence Day 2021.

In August 2020, Assistant Sub-Inspector Babu Ram and his squad were at a CRPF/police checkpoint in Srinagar when three terrorists started to open fire at the security forces and took shelter in the nearby Pantha-Chokh area. The security forces cordoned off the area and asked the terrorists to surrender.

The terrorists, however, opened fire on the police party. In the ensuing encounter, the ASI not only shielded his colleague but killed all three terrorists in a retaliatory fire before he succumbed to bullet injuries.

Born on May 15, 1972, in Dharana village in the border town of Mendhar of Poonch district of Jammu region, Ram wanted to join the armed forces since his childhood, officials said, adding after his schooling, he was appointed in J&K Police as a constable in 1999.

He was subsequently posted in special operations group (SOG) Srinagar on July 27, 2002, and was part of various anti-terror operations in which a number of hardcore terrorists were killed, the officials said.

The braveheart, during his service in the anti-insurgency group, remained part of 14 encounters in which 28 terrorists were gunned down.