This is a tribute to this brave police officer who lost his life fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai Terrorist Attack.
During his distinguished career as an officer of the Indian Police Service, Mr Kamte went after criminals and stood up to corrupt politicians earning an unusual following of civilian fans, even a fan club page on the social network, Orkut. By various accounts, his peers and civilians knew him as an extraordinarily-brave, outstanding and honest officer.
This blogger is one such civilian who came away with a lasting impression from a meeting with Mr Kamte in August 2002. At the time, Mr Kamte was posted as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Zone 1 headquarters opposite the CST railway station in Mumbai and was about to be transferred to Sangli. His bodybuilder physique, recognition plaques on the wall from a UN posting in Bosnia, a no-nonsense gaze and the genuine interest in listening to grievances grabbed your attention and respect. In a department where hundreds of issues vie for an IPS officer's attention every day, he went out of his way to ensure justice.
You are invited to share your remembrances here and also update his biography on Wikipedia at Ashok Kamte.
He was a great man with a solid personality. I had met him twice and will always remember him. Its sad to know that he is no more but the fact that he fought bravely performing his duties and against terrorism is a thing that he would be proud of. I salute you Mr. Kamte.
ReplyDeleteMay his soul rest in peace
ReplyDeleteMy salutes to this brave soul. He is a great inspiration to our generation.
ReplyDeletePeople throng in the thousands to pay their last respects to this great officer.
ReplyDeleteACP Ashok Kamte, ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, Encounter Specialist Vijay Salaskar and all the Police and Security and Combat Personnel and all other great saviours who laid down their invaluable lives to save Mumbaikars and non-Mumbaikars on 26th and 27th November 2008, will be my inspiration for the rest of my life and I pray for their rebirth as true Indians and Humans. May God give strength to their families to bear the irreparable loss.
ReplyDeletemay god bless his soul.such a brave man fighting
ReplyDeletethe never ending terrorism.i salute you bro!!!
I knew Ashok when he was studying in St Xavier's in the early 1980s. In fact I had the honor to play soccer with him [I was in the opposing team]. He was a formidable but fair opponent then. And he went on to become a fearless officer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cowardly act.
the 3 senior officers who died in the line of duty showed great bravery and personal leadership leading the actions in front. my deepest condolences to their families and also to those who have lost their lives on Nov 26-27.
ReplyDeletemy condolences to his family.
ReplyDeleteWe all are sad that three of our brave officers attained martyrdom.
ReplyDeleteBut what were the circumstances in which these people received gunshots near Metro Cinema? Was there a shoot out at Dhobi Talao also?
Ashok Kamte was a student of Kodaikanal International School, Class of 1982. The school was blessed to have a student of his calibre. He was outstanding in Academics, and excelled in Sports, affectionate and sincere to all who he knew. His disciplined dedication to whatever he took up even during his High school years promised us that Ashok would reach great heights. To witness his selfless act makes me want to honor and salute him. Our heartfelt condolences to the family. Sam Balachander, Kodaikanal Internationa School, Kodaikanal
ReplyDeleteRest in peace, India is fortunate to have had you defending her.
ReplyDeleteVery saddened to hear about the loss of this brave hero. May his soul rest in peace. My prayers are with his family.
ReplyDeleteA Sincere heartfelt Salute to the bravest of the brave, lets hope that his sacrifice does not go in vain.May all Indians understand its significance.Politicians atleast now wake and rise up and do something for the nation instead always thinking of warming their pockets.
ReplyDeleteAshok Kamte was in the 42nd batch of probationers at the Police Academy in Hyderabad. He was popular and an exemplary probationer.He looked solid and was so in the best meaning of the term.He was a comfort to be with--a solidly good man who one felt safe with. He later became one of the best policemen.there are many many people in the much reviled civil services who are the true pillars on whom the edifice of the polity still stands.In the market driven world of today with huge fancy salries handed out to MBAs who make a virtue of corporate and personal greed, it is people like Kamte who were upright, poor but dutiful to the core.they are the people who die so that you and I can live. A Salute to you Ashok Kamte.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sam Balachander's comment about Ashok Kamte. He was truly a dynamic person. As a Kodai International School graduate myself (Class of 1987), it is with great sadness that we have lost a truly dedicated and committed person.
ReplyDeleteGod bless his Soul
ReplyDeletebesides everything else, we cannot overlook the fact that
ReplyDeleteHe was quite sexy
WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE SUPREME SACRIFIECE OF OUR BELOVED OFFICERS & COLLIGUES.OUR FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM WILL CONTINUE.
ReplyDeletemy heartfelt condolences go to the family of Mr Kamte..
ReplyDeleteThis ordeal may have ended but i am sure the average mumbaikar will not feel as safe as he wud have if the like of Mr kamte, Mr Karkare and Mr Salaskar been alive..
May your souls rest in peace sirs...
May His soul Rest in peace....
ReplyDeleteI worked with him in Bosnia and Herzegovina where he was stationed with the UN International Police Task Force. He was fun to be around, had a great sense of humor and people genuinely loved him! There are few anecdotes I will never forget, as long as I live! Ashok ... I tried to get in contact with you after you left Bosnia (who would have thought of emails,then, after your funny hiccups with computers and official reports) and it deeply hurts me now, to find you, like this 8 years later! We had FUN together! Rest in peace my friend!
ReplyDeleteI knew Ashok Kamte during my 58th Foundational Course in 1992 at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussorie starting from 12 October 1992( I was going under IAS Course). In the Lamhe(dairy book of FC)it was mentioned that ,"he is the best athelete of the FC, but never discussedfor that particular achievement. He passesses a tough outlookwith a determined mind and soft heart".
ReplyDeleteI observed today in Lamhe, when opened our memorable Lamhe. He has served the nation with great vigour and will be remembered bt nation and IPS family members.I pray for soul to rest peace and be born as good and tough human in his next re-incarnation. I also convey my heart felt condolences to his family members in Mumbai. I respect this brave man, who served his nation with pride and vigour.
To all IPS in Mumbai, please take care and be carefull-alert to tackle the terrorism.
May God Bless and rest his soul in Peace in Heaven.
Jambay Tashi(IAS 1992 Batch),
GNH Commission,
Thimphu-Bhutan
Ashok Kamte, a man that Indian History should and will not forget.He is my ideal and ideal for the coming generations.May his soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAshok Kamte, a true sports lover, was the only SP I saw, during state police games at the MPA, who followed all events of Kolhapur, and won the General championship....to read more kindly follow : http://prashantpardeshi.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteAshok Kamte was my dormmate and roommate for sometime at Wissydorm,under Krause's at Kodai International School,Kodaikanal,S.India.Though he was my senior by 2 to 3 grades,he used to be a very friendly and used to be a very funloving human being.He was the one who named me BOOGIE!How can i forget you friend...very saddening to hear that you are only in our memories...hope to meet tou in heaven,my friend.
ReplyDeleteSalutes to a true hero who made the supreme scarifice. No matter what the politicians do, there are heroes who shall take on themselves any attack on our motherland, no matter how massive it be.
ReplyDeleteINDIA ZINDABAD!
May his soul rest in peace. We should all combine efforts to ensure that his sacrfice does not go in vain.
ReplyDeleteLets pray that next time politicos like patil, deshmukh, thackeray, lalloo, mulayam, antulay, yechuri, karat and mayawati get killed not honest officers.
Our heartfelt condolences to this family. India will see only a few people like these three brave men amongst its billions.
ReplyDeleteI salute this valiant son of India. No description can bring home the valour and courage shown by Mr Ashok Kamte.
ReplyDeleteregards
sathya
The more i read about you, Mr Ashok Kamte, the more i realise that there is a lot about you and your greatness that is still unsaid. Your deeds, your reputation for being a v brave, yet compassionate police officer should not be lost to history. For it is people like you who can inspire and make us understand what strength of character is all about. Your wife has cleared your name, so that it is not said that you died in a reckless act. You died while taking on a task, that you were not even duty bound to take up, in an area which was not even in your jurisdiction and you died fighting.Our nation has lost one of its Lions... May your soul rest in peace and salutations to you!!!
ReplyDeleteLata
IS it possible to get the email id of Vinita Kamte wife of Ashok Kamte? Her fight for justice, needs to profoundly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to his wife and children to lose out on him due to stupid ignorance of Rakesh Maria. The book To the Last Bulet has given an insight into this man's life who I never knew but after reading the book, he has become an inspiration fo rnot just me but for all the coming generations. Kudos to his wife to go deep into the matter to find out the facts.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of an officer of his calibre will never be fulfilled but hopes are always high that someone will get inspired by him after knowing the details of his career and we might get another promising IPS officer.
we need a lot of men like IPS officer Ashoke Kamte but they do not come very often. they are the saviors of the society
ReplyDeleteThe Death Anniversary of the Additional Commissioner of Mumbai Police Mr. #AshokKamte was on 26thNov. Let us all pay a heartfelt #tribute to him on http://ashok-kamte.tributes.in
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