Remembering Odisha Cop ‘Bagha’ Who Laid Down His Life Fighting Maoists

Keonjhar: A life-size fresco portrait of Amar Saheed Pramod Kumar Satpathy was unveiled at district police office campus in Keonjhar on Saturday.

Popularly known as ‘Bagha’ (meaning Tiger) in the department, he was an assistant commandant in the Special Operation Group of Odisha Police.

Satpathy was the hero of the ‘Battle of Gosama’ fought in the Tri-Junction of Ganjam- Nayagadh- Kandhamal on February 16, 2008.  He displayed exemplary courage and valour fighting the Maoists. He was conferred with ‘Ashok Chakra’, the highest peacetime gallantry medal, posthumously in October this year.

He is the first and only Odia and the 2nd police personnel to receive the award.

Two other bravehearts of Odisha police – Amar Saheed Susanta Kumar Goud and Satyanand Panda – also laid down their lives in this operation, in which 673 sophisticated firearms and more than 61000 ammunition looted from Nayagadh armory by the ultras were seized.

On February 15, 2008, more than 500 heavily armed ultras attacked training school (PTS) armouries at  Nayagarh police station, two other police stations and one outpost of Nayagarh and one police station and one outpost in Ganjam, at around 10.30 pm.

The cadres, mostly from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand, looted more than 1,200 weapons of various categories, including sophisticated ones from the armoury.  As many as 14 police personnel and a civilian were also killed.

They then retreated into the forests of Ganjam and Phulbani districts. Following which, Satpathy and other SOG members rushed to Nayagarh on motorcycles and surrounded the area where the ultras were hiding.

Though Satpathy mounted an assault, they were outnumbered by the ultras who resorted to heavy firing. The SOG team had to retreat and in the ensuing operation he lost his life.