Template:Infobox military person D. Sreeram Kumar, AC (born 11 January 1981) is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army. In 2010, he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.
Early life
Sreeram Kumar was born in Kovilpatti, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. He completed his schooling from Sainik School, Amaravathinagar in 1998. He completed his under graduation from The American College in Madurai.[1]
Army career
Early career
Sreeram Kumar joined the Officers Training Academy, Chennai in October 2002 and received a short-service commission in 90 Medium Regiment (Artillery) on 20 March 2004, with the rank of lieutenant.[2] On 20 March 2009, he received a regular commission (seniority from 20 October 2004) with the service number IC-66076A,[2] and was promoted captain on 20 October 2006.[3] Promoted acting major on 24 August 2008, he served with 39 Assam Rifles in Arunachal Pradesh (Operation Orchid) and later in Manipur (Operation Hifazat).
Ashoka Chakra
In 2010, Sreeram Kumar was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.[4]
A brief about the action reads: Template:Quotation
Subsequent career
Kumar received a substantive promotion to major on 20 October 2010,[5] with promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 20 October 2017.[6] On 31 January 2021, he was promoted to colonel (by selection), with seniority from 26 October 2019.[7] He later went on to command 90 Medium Regiment and was later selected for Higher Command course at Army War Collage Mhow. He is currently posted in Southern Command
Controversy
In March 2013, a Supreme Court judicial commission ruled the killing of cousins Gobind and Nobo Meitei in the Langol area of Imphal to have been a staged encounter. The killings took place on 4 April 2009, and involved a joint team of local police and a unit of 39 Assam Rifles commanded by Kumar. While official statements from the paramilitary forces were that the cousins had opened fire when challenged and had been killed in response, the judicial panel concluded that based on medical evidence and witness testimonies, the action was "not an encounter but an operation by the security forces wherein death of the victims was caused knowingly".
Referring to the encounter, in which 89 rounds were fired at the pair, Kumar was reported as saying the encounter had been genuine, and that his understanding was "when a person is warned by the security forces and if he reacts by firing, such a person is a hardcore terrorist."[8]
On 14 July 2017, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a probe into several extrajudicial killings in Manipur, including the case in which Kumar was implicated.[9]
References
- ↑ Memorable reunion for senior officers at Sainik School. The Hindu. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch). The Gazette of India(28 March 2009).
- ↑ Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch). The Gazette of India(18 July 2009).
- ↑ D Sreeram Kumar. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch). The Gazette of India(26 March 2011).
- ↑ Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch). The Gazette of India(27 July 2019).
- ↑ Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch). The Gazette of India(29 January 2022).
- ↑ Ashoka Chakra awardee led fake encounter in Manipur, says SC panel. The Indian Express. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ 4 key Manipur encounter cases in focus as SC orders CBI probe into extra-judicial killings. The Print. Retrieved 29 August 2020.