A new species of spider, Icius tukarami, has been named after assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Omble, the hero of 26/11, who was responsible for the capture of terrorist Ajmal Kasab.
The term Icius Tukarami was first mentioned in a paper published by a team of researchers. The paper aims to “describe two new species of the genera Phintella and Icius from Maharashtra state of India”.
The reasearch mentioned: “The specific epithet is dedicated to a hero of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, ASI Tukaram Omble AC,who took 23 bullets and captured the terrorist of the attack.”
On the intervening night of November 26, 2008, Ajmal Kasab and another terrorist Ismail Khan executed a series of attacks at CST Railway station and then at Cama Hospital.
Reportedly, the two terrorists arrived at the back gate of the hospital but the staffers had locked all the doors from inside. They then attacked a police team outside the hospital, killing six officers, including ATS chief Hemant Karkare.
The assistant sub-inspector stood in front of Kasab and took multiple bullets at point-blank range to safeguard the other police officers present at the spot.
Tukaram Omble was awarded India’s highest peacetime gallantry award Ashoka Chakra for his bravery.
