A decorated officer, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Companion of the Indian Empire (CIE) and awarded the King's Police Medal (KPM).

Petigara was also awarded the Imperial Service Order (ISO) and used the honorific title "Khan Bahadur".

[1] He joined the police force as a sub-inspector at the CID (Criminal Investigations Department), and gradually rose through the ranks.

[citation needed] Among his accomplishments was his role in foiling an attempt by Indian freedom activist Manabendra Nath Roy in toppling the government.

When Mahatma Gandhi applied for a passport in 1931 to attend the second Round Table Conference in London, Petigara was cited as one of his references.