HC raps CRPF, presses for gallantry award to official

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to consider the plea of a CRPF official, who fought bravely with a terror group in Punjab in 1992, seeking to be conferred with President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG).

".... while issuing notice on the present petition, we direct the respondents (Centre) to consider the case of the petitioner for conferment of the said PPMG award, within a period of three weeks..." division bench of Justice Kailash Gambhir and Justice Najmi Waziri said.

"...if his case is found to be deserving, then honour him with the said award, in recommendation of his acts of bravery, well before the Republic Day of 2015," the court said and fixed the matter for Jan 15.

The court direction came last week while hearing a plea of Rajesh Shukla, an official of 80 Bn. of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), whose brave attempt made the arrest of Khalistan Commando Force (KCF-Zaffarwal) deputy chief possible, despite having received four bullet wounds in the gunfight with the terrorists on night of Sep 12, 1992.

Shukla told court that for his bravely, his name for a gallantry award was recommended by the CRPF, Chandigarh, in March 1994. Ever since then, he waited anxiously for the government's decision.

In November 2008, he was informed that the CRPF headquarters had declined to move his name for the PPMG to the ministry of home affairs on the ground that the case was received in their headquarters after a gap of one year.

Later, he asked the CRPF to re-examine the issue again but nothing was done.

"The manner in which the petitioner has been treated by respondents (Centre and CRPF) deserves strongest condemnation. It is apparent that petitioner (Shukla) was not at fault for delay of over one year in non-sending of his recommendation by CRPF to the ministry of home affairs (MHA)," the court said.

"When such delay cannot be attributed to the petitioner, which otherwise would lie entirely upon the CRPF, then for their ex-facie lethargy and unexplained administrative delays, the petitioner cannot be denied the right to be considered for the PPMG award," the court said.