Asst Commandant Pramod Kumar Satapathy of the Orissa Special Operation Group led 20 police against naxalites after the February 2008 attacks.
Twenty police on the jungle slope
On the night of 15 February 2008, about 500 armed naxalites made simultaneous attacks on police at locations in and around Bhubaneswar, looting weapons and killing several police personnel. They then withdrew to nearby jungles.
Pramod Kumar Satapathy, an Assistant Commandant and training-in-charge of the Special Operation Group, went after them with 20 police personnel. They reached the elevated position the naxalites held inside the jungle and attacked at once. The naxalites replied with heavy fire. The fight lasted about two hours, and Satapathy, who led it, was killed. Wikipedia places the jungle in the Nayagarh area; the Press Information Bureau account does not name the district.
Announced in August 2008
The Press Information Bureau records the award as announced on 15 August 2008, together with that of R. P. Diengdoh of the Meghalaya Police, and conferred at Rajpath on 26 January 2009. Official and other sources spell his surname both Satapathy and Satpathy, and the state's name then appeared as Orissa. His wife, Amita Satpathy, received the Ashoka Chakra from President Pratibha Patil.
Official text from the Press Information Bureau
In the night of 15th February 2008 about 500 heavily armed naxalites carried out simultaneous attacks on police at various locations in and around Bhubaneswar looting many weapons and killing several police personnel. Thereafter, they hid in nearby jungles. Assistant Commandant Shri Pramod Kumar Satapathy of the Special Operation Group along with a mere 20 police personnel reached the elevated position taken by the naxalites inside the jungle and immediately mounted an assault on them. The naxalites retaliated with heavy fire on the police team and in a fierce encounter lasting for about two hours. Shri Satapathy led the operations with exemplary courage before making the supreme sacrifice. Shri Pramod Kumar Satapathy displayed highest degree of bravery and dedication to duty in the fight against naxalites.
Source: Press Information Bureau release. Reproduced as printed, including any errors in the original.