Bhubaneswar, 21 October (H.S.): The 66th Police Martyrs’ Day was observed with solemnity at the State Police Headquarters in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania attended the event as the chief guest and paid floral tributes to the brave police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

During the ceremony, a two-minute silence was observed in memory of the fallen heroes. This year, 191 police personnel from various Central Armed Police Forces and State Police organisations across the country were remembered for their supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation.

Special tributes were also paid to Constable (475) Laxman Majhi of 2nd IR Battalion, Rayagada, and OAPF (353) Loknath Sabar of UPD, Cuttack, who lost their lives while performing their duties. Their families were invited to the State Police Headquarters to participate in the commemoration.

Interacting with the bereaved families, DGP Khurania conveyed his heartfelt condolences and assured that the sacrifice and commitment of their loved ones would be forever remembered by the Odisha Police.

Highlighting the improvement in national security, DGP Khurania noted that the number of police casualties has declined significantly in recent years due to the tireless efforts of the security forces. He commended the valour and dedication of personnel serving in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, the Northeast, and Naxal-affected regions, emphasizing that peace has been largely restored in many insurgency-hit areas.

“Thanks to the bravery of our state’s police personnel, peace and security have been established in Naxal-affected areas, and these efforts will continue with the same determination in the days ahead,” the DGP stated.

The ceremony was attended by several senior officers, including DGP (Crime Branch) Vinaytosh Mishra, Director (Intelligence) RP Koche, ADG (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda, ADG (Modernisation) SK Priyadarshi, Director (SFSL) Santosh Bala, ADG (HQ) Arun Bothra, ADG (Vigilance) Asheet Kumar Panigrahi, ADG (Law & Order) Sanjay Kumar, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, ADG (Communication) Dayal Gangwar, and ADG (SAP) Rajesh Kumar.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda