BHUBANESWAR : Two martyrs of Odisha Police Debasis Sethy and Sudhir Kumar Tudu were awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Tuesday.
Sethy and Tudu - members of Odisha Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) - had attained martyrdom while fighting Maoists in Kalahandi district on September 9, 2020. Five maoists were eliminated in the anti-Maoist operation that had taken place in a densely forested region under M Rampur police limits in Kalahandi.
Sethy’s parents Sanatan Sethy and Chhayi, and Tudu’s mother Jwala Tudu, received the prestigious awards from the President. This is the first time two security personnel from Odisha have received the Shaurya Chakra - the third highest non-combatant gallantry award.
“They showed raw courage, utmost dedication and commitment to duty and made supreme sacrifice for the nation while fighting with Maoists in Kalahandi, Odisha,” the President tweeted. While Sethy had joined Odisha Police as a constable in October, 2013, he was inducted into SOG in March, 2016. Similarly, Tudu had joined as a constable in September, 2013 and inducted into SOG in June, 2018.