Tukaram Omble

Tukaram Gopal Omble
Bust of Tukaram Omble, at Girgaum Chowpatty junction
Bornc. 1954 (1954)
Kedambe, Jaoli, Satara, India
Died27 November 2008 (aged 53–54)
Mumbai, India
Police career
DepartmentMumbai Police
Service years1991 – 2008
RankEx-Army Man (Naik, Corps of Signals) Assistant Sub-Inspector
Awards Ashoka Chakra

Tukaram Omble AC (c. 1954 – 27 November 2008)[1] was an Indian police officer and a former member of Indian army who served as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Mumbai Police. He was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai. The Indian government posthumously honoured Omble on 26 January 2009 with the Ashoka Chakra, the country's highest peacetime military award.[2]

Biography

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Omble's widow receives the Ashok Chakra from president Pratibha Patil on 26 January 2009.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram handing over a CNG fuel Pump to the family of Tukaram Omble.

Omble joined the Mumbai police as a constable in 1991 after retiring from the Indian Army's Signal Corps as a naik. He was an ASI in the Mumbai Police. On 26 November he and his team were guarding a checkpoint when they were approached by two terrorists in a hijacked vehicle. After an initial shootout, one of the terrorists died inside the vehicle. The other terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, exited the vehicle and feigned surrender. As an unarmed Omble approached him, Kasab got up and opened fire. Omble stood in front of him and held on to the barrel of Kasab's rifle, which prevented the bullets from injuring anyone else apart from Omble, who died due to this action. Kasab was subsequently apprehended by the rest of Omble's team.[3]

The Government of India later awarded Omble with the Ashoka Chakra in recognition of his actions in helping to apprehend Kasab.[4]

Awards and honours

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A jumping spider species from the Maharashtra region was named after him in June 2021.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ashish Khetan; Bachi Karkaria; Chris Khetan; George Koshy; Harsh Joshi; Julio Riberio; Rahul Shivshankar (2009). 26/11 Mumbai Attacked. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 9789351940708. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  2. ^ "11 security personnel to get Ashok Chakra". Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  3. ^ "Remembering Tukaram Omble, Policeman Who Took 40 Bullets From Kasab's Gun But Caught Him Alive". IndiaTimes. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Ashok Chakra for only two: Karkare and Omble - Financial Express". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Ashok Chakra for only two: Karkare and Omble". Indian Express. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Madhavan Nair, Team Chandrayan named CNN-IBN Indian of the Year - Thaindian News". Thaindian.com. 2 February 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Newly discovered spider species named after Mumbai cop Tukaram Ombale | Navi Mumbai News - Times of India". The Times of India. 28 June 2021.
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