D. Sreeram Kumar

Lieutenant Colonel D. Sreeram Kumar AC (born 1981) is a serving Indian Army officer who was decorated in 2010 with the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.[1]

Lieutenant Colonel

D. Sreeram Kumar

AC
Born1981
Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu, India
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Army
Years of service2004–present
Rank Lieutenant Colonel
Service numberSS-40576
(short-service commission)
IC-66076A
(regular commission)
Unit90 Medium Regiment
(Regiment of Artillery)
39 Assam Rifles
Battles/wars
Awards Ashoka Chakra

Early life

Sreeram Kumar was born in 1981 in Kovilpatti and did his schooling in Sainik School, Amaravathinagar and passed out in 1998. He did his under graduation at The American College in Madurai.[2]

Army career
Sreeram Kumar receives the Ashok Chakra from President Pratibha Patil on 26 January 2010.

Kumar joined the Officers Training Academy, Chennai in October 2002 and received a short-service commission in 90 Medium Regiment (Artillery) on 20 March 2004, with the rank of lieutenant.[3] On 20 March 2009, he received a regular commission (seniority from 20 October 2004) with the service number IC-66076A,[3] and was promoted captain on 20 October 2006.[4] Promoted acting Major on 24 August 2008, he served with 39 Assam Rifles in Arunachal Pradesh (Operation Orchid) and later in Manipur (Operation Hifazat).

Ashoka Chakra citation

A brief about the action reads:

On 23 Oct 08, at 1730 hrs after obtaining explicit intelligence regarding presence of 10-15 armed terrorists at village Heingang Heibi Makhong, Imphal East District, Maj D Sreeram Kumar launched ops to eliminate the terrorists. Reaching the site, he laid multiple ambushes on the escape routes of the terrorists.

Around 1830hrs, the section under Maj D Sreeram Kumar observed suspicious movement of armed terrorists moving towards the nearby ridge on being challenged, the terrorists opened indiscriminate heavy automatic fire and pinned down the section. The offr miraculously missed certain death but showing exemplary courage and presence of mind, engaged the terrorists with accurate fire and killed two terrorists on the spot.

In the ensuring fierce encounter upholding the traditions of the Indian Army, showing leadership of the highest order and unmindful of personal safety, Maj D Sreeram Kumar directed his buddy to provide covering fire and with utter disregard to his own safety dashed down and closed in crawling and killed the two terrorists at point blank range. A fifth terrorist was killed by his buddy after vigorous search.

For displaying inspirational leadership, conspicuous gallantry under hostile fire and single handled eliminating four terrorists, Maj D Sreeram Kumar was awarded ‘Ashok Chakra’ on the occasion of the Independence Day 09.[5]

Subsequent career

Kumar was subsequently promoted substantive major on 20 October 2010,[6] with promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 20 October 2017.[7] He is an instructor at the Indian Military Academy (IMA).

Controversy

In March 2013, a Supreme Court judicial commission ruled the killing of cousins Gobind and Nobo Meitei in the Langol area of Imphal to have been a staged encounter. The killings took place on 4 April 2009, and involved a joint team of local police and a unit of 39 Assam Rifles commanded by Kumar. While official statements from the paramilitary forces were that the cousins had opened fire when challenged and had been killed in response, the judicial panel concluded that based on medical evidence and witness testimonies, the action was "not an encounter but an operation by the security forces wherein death of the victims was caused knowingly".

Referring to the encounter, in which 89 rounds were fired at the pair, Kumar was reported as saying the encounter had been genuine, and that his understanding was "when a person is warned by the security forces and if he reacts by firing, such a person is a hardcore terrorist."[8]

On 14 July 2017, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a probe into several extrajudicial killings in Manipur, including the case in which Kumar was implicated.[9]

References
  1. "D SREERAM KUMAR | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in.
  2. "Memorable reunion for senior officers at Sainik School".
  3. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 28 March 2009. p. 620.
  4. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 18 July 2009. p. 1230.
  5. "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". www.indianarmy.nic.in.
  6. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 26 March 2011. p. 601.
  7. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 27 July 2019. p. 1990.
  8. Anand, Utkarsh; Roy, Esha (15 September 2013). "Ashoka Chakra awardee led fake encounter in Manipur, says SC panel". Imphal; New Delhi: The Indian Express. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  9. Pubby, Manu (14 July 2017). "4 key Manipur encounter cases in focus as SC orders CBI probe into extra-judicial killings". The Print. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
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