https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Operation That Got This Jharkhand IPS Officer 2022 Gallantry Award

Indian Masterminds Stories

Ex-BSF commandant K Vijay Shankar chose Indian Police Service because he likes to take up challenges. His rank in UPSC CSE made him eligible for IAS but he opted for IPS as he felt that in this service, risks and challenges are more in comparison. 

The 2018-batch IPS officer is a qualified engineer, too, and is currently posted as SP, Jamshedpur (City), Jharkhand. On the occasion of Independence Day this year, he was honoured with the gallantry award by the Union Home Ministry for his work against ultra-Left outfits. 

During an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he talked about the operation which won him this award and shared his experience of working in the Jharkhand cadre. 

GETTING TO KNOW TRIBAL CULTURE INTIMATELY

Mr. Shankar, who hails from Tamil Nadu, has a family legacy of police officers. His grandfather and father were both in police, and, in fact, his father was an IPS officer from Haryana cadre. Inspired by them, Mr. Shankar, too, chose IPS and opted for Jharkhand cadre as he likes to deal with difficult situations. 

Talking about it, he told IndianMasterminds, “Jharkhand was much higher in my cadre preference list. I always wanted to serve in a place which has testing situations. My preferences were the cadres which are affected by terrorist or ultra-Left violence.”

He was posted in Palamu, Ranchi and now in Jamshedpur. When asked if it was difficult for him to bridge the gap between the police and the tribes of the area, he said, “After coming here, I got to know the tribal culture, which is another facet of Indian culture. You start to actually witness and appreciate the diversity. The challenge is to be able to associate with them and make them part of your day-to-day lives. When you understand and respect the nuances of their culture and they know that you’re going to be good with them, they are forthcoming and will be there for you. They might easily be the best section of society.”

He also mentions that when it comes to maintaining law and order in tribal areas, a police officer has to try out many things, as what works in mainstream society might not work with the tribes. But, eventually one learns. 

LOT GOES BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION

Mr. Shankar was awarded for neutralizing the area commander of banned ultra-Leftist outfit Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad, Mahesh Mia. He led the operation against the outfit while he was posted in Palamu as SDPO. During his posting, he was given the additional charge of operation for the entire state. Sharing about the operation against Mahesh, he said, “We were on him for three-four months. About 200 operations were carried out to take him in custody. On 24 February, we got a tip that he has been spotted. I immediately left for the place with 3-4 personnel and also included a team from the local police station with us. We were about 8 people. Before we could reach him, one of his men saw us coming and started firing.”

It was the fringe of a jungle. The team of police cordon off the area and started closing in. After shots were fired, the police team retaliated and fires were exchanged for 30-35 minutes. “They know the jungles better than us and went inside. After the operation, we carried out a search in which we saw that one ultra was neutralized. We believed it was Mahesh and the locals later confirmed it,” the officer said.

GETTING YOUR MEN BACK IS BIGGEST WIN  

In the operation, the police team didn’t face any casualty. Mr. Shankar said, “That is the biggest win. When you command any operation, the task is to bring your men back safely. If you don’t accomplish the mission, then that is still okay. But, if you lose your men, then that is something you’ve to live your entire life with. It can downgrade your moral.”

The officer is currently focusing on bringing peace in the area and sending out a strong message by putting all offenders behind bars.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Odisha Government
Odisha Elevates Two Promising IFS Officers to Senior Time Scale, Strengthening Forest Leadership - Know More About Them
Yogi Adityanath UP
Uttar Pradesh Floods: CM Yogi Adityanath Forms ‘Team-11’ for Swift and Transparent Flood Relief Across 12 Districts
DGR Job Fair
DGR Job Fair 2025 Held in Delhi to Empower Ex-Servicemen with Career Opportunities in Emerging Tech - Details Inside
omc
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Begins Dispatch from Dubna Mines, Strengthening Supply Chain and Industrial Growth
NFDC
NFDC Launches Free Residential 3D Animation & VFX Training for North East Youth - Here's All You Need To Know
CM Yogi
CM Yogi Adityanath Reviews Rs. 42,891 Crore Development Proposals for Lucknow Division, Emphasizes Timely, Inclusive Execution
Mahanadi River
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Assures Odisha of Consideration on an Amicable Solution to Mahanadi Water Dispute
MP News
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav Pays Tribute to Pt. Ravishankar Shukla on His Birth Anniversary
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Odisha Government
Odisha Elevates Two Promising IFS Officers to Senior Time Scale, Strengthening Forest Leadership - Know More About Them
Yogi Adityanath UP
Uttar Pradesh Floods: CM Yogi Adityanath Forms ‘Team-11’ for Swift and Transparent Flood Relief Across 12 Districts
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT