Tukaram Omble: Difference between revisions

| birth_place  = Kedambe, [[Satara District]], [[Maharashtra]] [[India]]

| death_date    = {{nobreak|27 {{Death year and age|2008|1954|11}}}} (Martyred in 2008 Mumbai attacks)

'''Tukaram Omble''' [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|AC]] ({{circa}} 1954 – 27 November 2008)<ref>{{cite book|author1=Ashish Khetan|author2=Bachi Karkaria|author3=Chris Khetan|author4=George Koshy|author5=Harsh Joshi|author6=Julio Riberio|author7=Rahul Shivshankar|title=26/11 Mumbai Attacked|date=2009|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|isbn=9789351940708|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2HmEBwAAQBAJ|accessdate=16 March 2017}}</ref> was a Mumbai police officer and army soldier, who served as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the [[Mumbai Police]]. He was martyred in action while fighting terrorists during the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], at [[Girgaum Chowpatty]] Mumbai, and was instrumental in apprehending  [[Ajmal Kasab]] alive. The lone surviving terrorist Kasab was later convicted and hanged. The Indian government posthumously honoured Omble, on 26 January 2009, with the [[Ashoka Chakra Award|Ashoka Chakra]] – the country's highest peace-time gallantry award for extraordinary bravery and valour in the line of duty.<ref name="ashoka">{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/11-security-personnel-to-get-ashok-chakra/83597-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203074058/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/11-security-personnel-to-get-ashok-chakra/83597-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-02-03|title=11 security personnel to get Ashok Chakra|accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>

== Summary ==

Omble joined the police as a constable in 1991 after retiring from the [[Indian Army]]'s Signal Corps as a [[Naik (military rank)|naik]]. He was an ASI with the Mumbai Police.  

On 26/11 he and his team were guarding one of the checkposts when they were approached by two terrorists in a hijacked car. After an initial shootout, one of the terrorists died inside the car, while the other, [[Ajmal Kasab]] got out of the car and lay down to pretend surrender. As unarmed Omble approached him, Kasab got up and tried to open fire. Omble stood in front of him and held on to the barrel of Kasab's rifle, thus preventing the bullets from hitting anyone else but him. The rest of the team managed to overpower and apprehend Kasab. Omble had taken over 40 bullets from an Ak-47 at point blank range and did not survive.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-11-26|title=Remembering Tukaram Omble, Policeman Who Took 40 Bullets From Kasab's Gun But Caught Him Alive|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/tukaram-omble-26-11-mumbai-terrorist-attack-501153.html|access-date=2021-03-17|website=IndiaTimes|language=en-IN}}</ref> A newly discovered jumping spider species  from Thane-Kalyan region has been named in the honour of the brave Mumbai cop Tukaram Ombale on June 2021. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/newly-discovered-spider-species-named-after-mumbai-cop-tukaram-ombale/articleshow/83928749.cms|title=Newly discovered spider species named after Mumbai cop Tukaram Ombale &#124; Navi Mumbai News - Times of India}}</ref>  

Citizens of Mumbai petitioned to have him receive the highest civilian honour for his contribution to the nation in his rare feat to catch a terrorist on a suicide mission alive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Ombales-courage-must-be-recognised/articleshow/3905959.cms?|title = 'Ombale's courage must be recognised' &#124; Mumbai News - Times of India}}</ref> The Government of India awarded Tukaram Omble with the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.financialexpress.com/news/ashok-chakra-for-only-two-karkare-and-omble/413391 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072319/http://archive.financialexpress.com/news/ashok-chakra-for-only-two-karkare-and-omble/413391 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

* Tukaram Omble was awarded the [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]], which is the highest peacetime gallantry award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ashok-chakra-for-only-two-karkare-and-omble/413391/ |title=Ashok Chakra for only two: Karkare and Omble |publisher=Indian Express |date=2009-01-21 |accessdate=2013-03-07}}</ref>

* He was also awarded [[CNN-IBN Indian of the Year|CNN Indian of the year]] award under the category 'Extraordinary service to the nation'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/madhavan-nair-team-chandrayan-named-cnn-ibn-indian-of-the-year_100150294.html |title=Madhavan Nair, Team Chandrayan named CNN-IBN Indian of the Year - Thaindian News |publisher=Thaindian.com |date=2009-02-02 |accessdate=2013-03-07}}</ref>

* Omble is memorialized by a bronze statue in Chowpatty.<ref name="wordpress">{{cite web|url=http://postbalki.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/tukaram-omble-a-extraordinary-constable-from-mumbai-mirror/|title=Tukaram Omble - A extraordinary constable |publisher= [[Mumbai Mirror]]|last= Tiwary|first=Deeptiman|accessdate=2009-01-27}}</ref>