National Police Commemoration Day 2026: Pune Honors 191 Bravehearts at Pashan Memorial; Padma Vibhushan Dr. Mashelkar to Pay Tribute

PUNE: To commemorate the supreme sacrifice of police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty, Police Commemoration Day (Police Smruti Din) will be solemnly observed on October 21, 2026, at the Centre for Police Research (CPR), Pashan Road, Pune.

Renowned scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar will attend as the chief guest to pay homage to the fallen heroes at 8:00 AM. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Darade, along with senior IPS officers, police personnel, and citizens, will be present to lay wreaths and offer a guard of honor.

Across India, 191 police personnel from various states and central armed forces were martyred while safeguarding law, order, and national security between September 1, 2025, and August 31, 2026. Maharashtra honors two personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during this period: Police Constable Deepak Chinna Mandavi (Gadchiroli) and Police Constable Navalsing Havalya Vasave (Traffic Directorate, Mumbai).

The legacy of October 21 dates back to the 1959 Sino-Indian border dispute at Hot Springs in Ladakh. Patrolling at an altitude of over 18,000 feet, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) reconnaissance team was ambushed by heavily armed Chinese troops. Ten brave personnel—Puran Singh, Dharam Singh, Ingjit Suba, Norbu Lama, Shivnath Prasad, Tshering Norbu, Imam Singh, Sarwan Singh, Beg Raj, and Makhan Lal—fought valiantly and were martyred, while nine were injured and captured. At the 1959 All-India Police Conference in Patna, resolution was passed to honor this day annually as National Police Commemoration Day.

Citizens, dignitaries, and media representatives are requested to assemble at the Police Research Centre, Pashan Road, by 7:50 AM to observe the solemn ceremony.