Problem of plenty for govt

The top government machinery is grappling with the controversies that could arise if they go ahead with the present list of nine heroes for Ashok Chakra which includes former ATS chief Hemant Karkare and assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Omble, said sources.

But the names of Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar, the other two officers who were gunned down along with Karkare, are missing. Inspector Shashank Shinde, who took on the terrorists at CST with his service revolver, is not on the list either.

The list includes the two NSG commandos, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havildar Gajendra Singh, who were killed during 26/11. Orissa Special Operations Group assistant commandant Pramod Satpathy and Meghalaya police DSP Raymond P Diengdoh are also on the list. Sources said there is concern about the potential pitfall in omitting the names of Kamte, Salaskar and Shinde from the Ashok Chakra  category. The three are currently slated for the  Kirti Chakra.