Pune: Floral tributes and gun salutes to the martyrs marked the 58th Police Commemoration Day observed in the city on Saturday at the Centre for Police Research (CPR) on Pashan Road. Also, parade and the wreath-laying ceremony was held.
Guns were fired in the air and two minutes silence was observed at the venue in memory of the police personnel who were killed in the line of duty across the country.
Vidyadhar Vaidya, former chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), graced the commemoration function with about 800 police personnel and citizens from various walks of life were present.
Senior police officers including Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla, CID Chief Sanjay Kumar, Jail Department Chief BK Upadhyay, Police Wireless Department Head Ritesh Kumar and Pune Rural SP Suvez Haque were also present.
In the last one year, 379 police personnel from across India lost their lives while performing their duties. Police Constable Suresh Linga Telami from Maharashtra Police was among the martyrs.
History of Police Commemoration Day
The day commemorates the sacrifices of ten policemen while defending our borders with China in 1959. Indian Police personnel were responsible for manning the 2,500-mile long border of India with Tibet until the autumn of 1959.
On October 20, 1959, three reconnaissance parties were launched from Hot Springs in North Eastern Ladakh in preparation for further movement of an Indian expedition which was on its way to Lanak La.
While members of two parties returned to Hot Springs by the afternoon of that day, the third one comprising two police constables and a porter did not return. All available personnel were mobilised early next morning in search of the missing personnel. A party of about 20 police personnel led by Karam Singh, DCIO proceeded ahead on horseback, while others followed on foot in three sections.
At about midday, Chinese Army personnel were seen on a hillock who opened fire and threw grenades at the party led by Karam Singh. Since there was no cover, most personnel were injured. Ten of our brave Police Personnel attained martyrdom and seven others sustained injuries.
The seven injured were taken prisoners by the Chinese while the remaining managed to escape. Bodies of the ten personnel were returned by the Chinese only on November 13, 1959, a full three weeks after the incident. These bodies were cremated with full police honours at Hot Springs.
