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Gallantry award for Udhey Kumar Aima

Gallantry Award

Udhey Kumar Aima

Udhey Kumar Aima Superintednent of Jammu & Kashmir Police (now retired) was posted in Crime and Railways Jammu and his office was situated on platform No. 1 of Jammu railway station.

On January 2nd, 2004 at 1850 hours, two Pakistani fidayeens struck the railway station in Jammu and started firing indiscriminately with their automatic A.K-56 rifles. They also hurled hand grenades upon hoi-polloi. It was an eagle eye on the part of Railway Police that such militant strike was countered at that very moment with dexterous use of proper retaliation. The timely retaliation on the part of railway police was due to sharp and prompt action of Shri Udhey Kumar Aima who was posted near the scene of occurrence.

It was his bravery,mental acumen and aplomb that the Railway Police succeeded in killing one fidayeen on the spot. The second fidayeen got injured due to such retaliation and it was hard efforts put in by the police under the supervision of such gallant officer that second fidayeen was eliminated later on. The operation lasted for one and half hour. During this operation railway police succeeded in evacuating around 5000 passengers present on platforms to safer places and there were no civilian causalities except for the six people from J&K Police and B.S.F, who got killed in this operation.

For this act of bravery, Udhey Kumar Aima S.P and five other police officials working under him have been awarded Police Gallantry Medal by President of India on 15th of August 2007. Earlier they were awarded Sheri-Kashmir Medal for Gallantry vide J&K Govt. notification dated August 19th, 2004.

Udhey Kumar Koul Aima after graduation from Sri Partap college Srinagar joined the police department as Sub Inspector of police in April 1966. By didn�t of his hard work and unblemished record rose to the rank of Superintendent of Police and finally retired from the active service in December 2004.

Hailing from Karan-Nagar, Srinagar , Kashmir has a family back ground of being a professional Police officer. His father late Pt. Aftab Koul Aima, a graduate from Lahore University had joined the J&K Police as a sub Inspector and after putting in 36 years of meritorious service in the Police department rose to the rank of Asst. Supdt of Police and retired in 1953.

His Grand father Late Pt. Nath Koul Aima also worked in the J&K Police and retired as Supdt of Police. His Uncle Late Pt. Ved Koul Aima also worked in the J&K Police department and retired as Inspector of police way back in 1949.

Udhey Kumar Koul Aima worked in the state Vigilance Department for long 16 years in four tenures in different capacities and earned a good reputation of being a professional Police officer. He also worked in RAW on deputation basis for a very brief period.

He received 120 commendation certificates/ appreciations from his senior officers. He is also a recipient of Director Generals Police Medal.

He has a son and a daughter who are both Engineers and both are married.
Son Sandeep Aima is Mechanical Engineer and married to Anuradha D/O Rajinder Sathu (Muscat) working with G.E based in Abu Dhabi .
Daughter Monica an I.T professional is married to Sanju Salman working in Los Angels ( California ).
Presently Udhey Kumar Aima is enjoying his retired life with his wife Mrs, Nirmala Aima at Jammu and visits their children off and on.

Udhey Kumar Aima with his family, son Sandeep, daughter Monica, son in law, Sanju Salman, daughter in law Anuradha, wife Nirmala and grand children.

Interview with an officer

by Deepak Ganju

1. Aimaji, what motivated you to join the police force and take up this assignment over other career choices in your life?
I would like to jot down as to what prompted me to join J&K Police. Firstly my father namely Pt. Aftab Koul Aima, who too was a senior police officer, would in the course of interaction with me say that a successful police officer has to carry a �mission� as there are various factors which are required to be carried along with like one has to be a diplomat, a confessor, aplomb and intellectual dexterity. Perhaps those interactions with my father prompted me to join this profession. Moreover, it was a judicious mixture of self sacrifice, audacity, mental acumen and a cherished desired to wield authority that I chose this profession.

2. What are the various challenges, faced during the entire phase of your career as a police officer and how did you overcome it?
The public in general have very high expectations from police men as they expect from a police man to perform on all fronts. General feeling among common hoi-polloi is that a police man has come from other planet and expect from him to find a needle from a big heap of haystack in no time. He is at the same time expected to exercise complete control over his nerves even in the critical incidents or provocations. The police force is the only substitute in a modern society for organized oppression, crime or violence and it is of greatest importance that the public should understand this and the general system and should be brought to grasp that the police is an organ of society, representing common masses in general and not merely of the Govt.

There were various challenges faced by me during my service career. I was entrusted with the investigation of most heinous blind murders. Cases which were thoroughly investigated and accused were subsequently brought to justice. Some cases ended up in conviction. During my tenure in the State Vigilance Organization, I worked on most tedious and big scandals involving very senior officers of the rank of Commissioner Secretaries / Dy. Commissioners and it was all due to my allegiance and fidelity that I succeeded in completing the investigations of such tedious cases although there were a lot of political interference at every stage but due to relentless support of my senior officers I never looked back and carried forward my legitimate duties smoothly. It was because of my untiring efforts which were put in by me, I was called back to join the team of investigators in State Vigilance Organization after rendering brief tenure in Executive Police. Out of my 39 unblemished service I rendered 17 years in the State Vigilance Organization. During.

Post migration period was again a very tough time as a few officers including me were selected to investigate the militant related cases. We investigated most of the cases after interrogating the militants who were lodged in different jails and finally produced the charge sheet against them in the court of law for judicial determination where most of the cases are still sub-judice. We had to work very hard round the clock during this period as the influx of militants in different jails had gone very high at that point of time. It is all due to my hard work, dedication to my duty and of course the support of my senior officers, how I faced all these challenges.

3. Please, tell us about any interesting incident that you would like to share with our readers, other than the one for which you won Presidents Gallantry award?
I would like to mention here that during my posting in Police Station Bishna (Jammu District) in 1969-70 while investigating a burglary case had to raid a suspects house during December which was situated in village Pindi Charkan just close to International Border. I along with three cops left Bishna Police Station in the evening around 5 p.m. and reached a village namely Allah and stayed there in the house of village head man for the night. Next day in the wee hours around 4 a.m. while it was pitch dark I along with cops left to the adjoining village Pindi Charkan to raid the house of the suspect but unfortunately all of us inadvertently stepped in the Pakistan territory and reached village Charban in Pakistan. We met a man who was going to the village mosque for offering prayers and asked him as to what was the name of the village. As soon as he told that it was village Charban (Pakistan), we immediately retreated back and in the process some shots were fired by Pakistani Rangers at us but by that time we had reached our own territory and all of us were detained by the BSF fearing that we were some Pakistani in police uniform. After we disclosed our identity, it took two to three hours for BSF to verify our antecedents and later were allowed to go. This was a most horrible incident in my life which I will never forget.

4. As an officer in police do you have any fear of unknown and how do you balance your life between you family and work?
During present turmoil I have been on the forefront, worked against militancy, I have been conspicuous because of my uniform whereas I don�t recognize many who have been involved in the militancy but I cannot rule out any possibility of keeping vigil on me by the ANEs especially militants to harm me and my family members in view of the aforesaid reasons. During my posting as Deputy Commandant in an armed police Battalion in Srinagar had to take a lot of precautions and had to restrict my movements, although I was putting up in a security zone area.

As a police officer mostly I used to be out of my home, leaving early in the morning and coming very late in the night. It was the understanding I had with my wife who all along looked after the children and other household affairs. It is due to her tireless efforts that our children got the best education. I am really indebted to my wife.

The blackest day of my life was 8th of June, 1991 when I lost my son Chander Koul Aima who was then 19 years and 27 days old in a road accident while I was posted in Leh. Unfortunately his results of 12th class were out after four days of his death. This pinches me and my other family members most and there was no time for me to say good bye to him as I was far away from him at that time and we all were completely shattered because of this stark reality.

5. Any advice you would like to give to those who would like to join the police force?
I would like to say to those who intend to join this force that, it is a good job especially for young and dynamic aspirants as it is the only force where you can take initiative and serve the mankind and to the nation in a big way. Secondly, the job involves very adventurous and daring life and above all very bright future for them provided they try to be professional ones. However, the police job is not so easy during present days as we are presently living in an age of discontent and discord. We see rapid changes in social and economic values. Demonstrations have gradually degenerated into riots under the course of peaceful protest. Growing disrespect and for law and order is reaching intolerable proportions. We find increasing public concern over the mounting crime rate in our society, over the decline of law and order and growing defiance of law. We see recent disturbances revolutionary situations.

Today the danger of revolution being imported into the country from foreign nations is a very real threat. The most important duties of the police are prevention and detection of crime and keeping the peace. Maintenance of public order is the primary duty of the police. During the past 20 years, the police confronts with a new mob technique. This is the guerrilla or hit and run tactics in which guns and bombs/ grenades are used. Bombs with timer devices are placed at the busiest places so as to cause massive loss to the life and property of the general public. All these challenges are required to be faced by the police and at the same time while enforcing law strictly, impartially and effectively the methods have to be humane.

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Comments

Congratulations Udhey Aimaji for your bravery and in winning the Presidents Gallantry Award and being featured by Shehjar Magazine in its SPOTLIGHT section I also feel fortunate to have met Udheyji in this years KP National Camp at Big Bear Lake resort in California.

Added By Paviter Handoo

CONGRATULATION MR. AIMA for your achevements.

Added By Chander M. Bhat

Really, we're proud of men like you in our community. I know you very closely as an associate of my brother Sh SN Bhat in police. I was always impressed by your courage and bravery. I wish you further flourishing success in other fields of life too.

Added By JL Bhat

Congratulations Mr.Aima, It requires a lot of courage to face such challenges when you put your own life at stake for the cause of saving life of thousands of other unknown people. I wish that the country should have not only more and more officers like you but other persons too who can come forward to take the lead and serve the humanity selflessely . With best wishes Sanjeev wadhwa

Added By SANJEEV WADHWA

Indeed a great job done by one of our K.P. I am really proud of such a great courageous Police officer of our community.Hoping to have such great people of our community of the same calibre.Congratulations Mr.Aima.

Added By Dr.Manisha Raina

Congratulations Mr. Aima.We are really proud to have a brave and courageous K.P. as you in our community.

Added By Surinder Raina

I KNOW SH.U.K.AIMA PERSONALLY AND THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT HIS GALLANT PERFORMANCE IN HIS PROFFESION IN WHATEVER CAPACITY HE WORKED IN THE J & K POLICE FORCE.IN HIS PRIVATE LIFE HE IS A GREAT FRIEND AND A SOFT SPOKEN PERSONALITY.ABOVE ALL HE IS ALWAYS PREPERED TO HELP,WHOSOEVER IS NEED OF THAT. I WISH HIM A WONDERFUL RETIRED LIFE AND ALL THE BEST FOR HIS ENTIRE FAMILY.

Added By RATTANLAL GADOO