Naveen recommends Ashok Chakra on slain SOG commandant

Bhubaneswar, Feb 19 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today requested Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to confer Ashok Chakra posthumously on special Operation Group Assistant Commadant Pramod Kumar Satpathy for his bravery and supreme sacrifice in fighting against Naxalites.

Mr Satpathy was killed during a fierce encounter with Naxalites at Gasama hill on last Saturday A police team comprising personnel from the CRPF, Special Operation Group and Orissa State Armed Police under the leadership of Pramod Satpathy followed the Naxalites, who fled Nayagarh after killing 15 people, including 14 police personnel, and looted huge quantity of arms and ammunitions on the night of February 15.

The security personnel gheraoed them in their hideouts but due to strong challenge by the heavily armed Naxalites, who had outnumbered the force, Mr Satpathy lost his life along with two other police personnel.

Mr Satpathy was one of the founders of the Special Operation Group in Orissa and led several encounters with the Naxalites.

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