Chief Guest
Shri Hemant Anant Bawdhankar
Retired Senior Police Inspector, Mumbai Police
President's Police Medal for Gallantry
Shri Hemant Bawdhankar served the Mumbai Police for many years and is best known for his part in the 26/11 terror attack response. On the night of 26 November 2008, he was an Assistant Police Inspector at D.B. Marg police station and part of the small team, armed with just a few pistols and lathis, that stopped the terrorists' car at Girgaum Chowpatty. One terrorist was killed and Ajmal Kasab was caught alive. For this gallantry he and his colleagues received the President's Police Medal for Gallantry. He also escorted the family of the late Tukaram Omble to receive the Ashok Chakra from the President.
In 2017, as an Inspector at J.J. Marg police station, he received the Deepak Jog Memorial Award for crime detection for the team's work in solving a child kidnap and murder case. Before joining the police he was training to become a Chartered Accountant, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India later felicitated him. He says he was inspired by his father, a bus driver who once stopped a mob from burning a fire engine during a riot.
Why he is with us for Manav Dharma: Manav Dharma means putting humanity first, and using our work, skills and courage to protect and uplift people. Shri Bawdhankar lived this on 26/11, when he moved towards danger so that strangers could be safe, and he has carried the same duty, discipline and humility through his service. His life shows what our awards celebrate: ordinary people who do extraordinary things for the good of others.
