Guwahati: In a rare and remarkable moment for the Assam Police, an IPS couple will be honoured with prestigious medals on Independence Day for their exceptional service to the nation.
Guwahati’s Commissioner of Police, Partha Sarathi Mahanta, a 2006-batch IPS officer, has been awarded the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service for his exceptional leadership and unwavering contribution to policing in the state. Mahanta also heads the Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and has been instrumental in several high-profile operations.
Major Operations Led by Mahanta
Over the past two years, Mahanta’s leadership has been central to busting the sleeper cell network of the Bangladesh-based Ansar ul Bangla Team (ABT), affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and dismantling major narcotics networks.
Earlier this year, his team arrested ISIS India head Haris Farooqi alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi and associate Anurag Singh alias Rehan in Dhubri district after they crossed over from Bangladesh.
Mahanta also spearheaded Operation Ghost SIM with support from Army Intelligence, which led to the arrest of several individuals across India running a fake SIM card racket linked to Pakistani agents. His award is among 17 national medals conferred upon Assam Police personnel this year by the Ministry of Home Affairs. These include three Police Medals for Gallantry and thirteen Police Medals for Meritorious Service.
Honour for DIG Indrani Baruah
Indrani Baruah, IPS, Deputy Inspector General of Police (CWR) and wife of Mahanta, will be conferred the Chief Minister’s Special Service Medal in a Crisis Situation. She is among nine Assam Police officers receiving this honour in 2025.
The Governor of Assam announced the awards as part of this year’s state honours for police personnel. Additionally, 35 officers have been selected for the Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Outstanding Service in recognition of exceptional leadership, professionalism, and commitment to public safety.
