Dinanagar braveheart cops get promotions

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, August 28

The Punjab Police today promoted policemen who displayed “valour and bravery” in neutralising the three militants who attacked the Dinanagar police station on July 27. However, the public declaration of the names of the policemen so promoted is yet to be made.

A ceremony was held at Gurdaspur civil lines where a number of policemen were reportedly felicitated by SSP Gurpreet Singh. However, all of them were yet to receive their promotion letters, sources said. The SSP said there were some “technical glitches” and the letters would be issued soon.

The total number and the names of policemen so promoted have been kept under wraps for reasons best known to the police administration.

On August 4, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced promotions for police personnel who “exhibited exemplary courage during the 12-hour operation to neutralise the terrorists”.

Some Punjab Home Guard jawans, who took part in the operation, have also been inducted into the police force.

Although the exact number of promotees has not been disclosed by senior officers, sources confirm “about 20 cops have been promoted” from Gurdaspur district alone. Police personnel from various police districts, including Batala, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur and Majitha, had taken part in the operation.

“Why are the officials keeping the list under wraps is beyond my comprehension. The list should be made public as soon as possible so that people come to know who exactly were the officials who held their nerves in the face of a blistering attack launched by the terrorists,” a top ranking officer said.

Sources say while preparing the list of promotees, the authorities concerned carefully followed the Supreme Court directive on giving promotions to policemen for taking part in encounters with terrorists. The Supreme Court judgment says “promotions will be given only to those policemen whose bravery is proved beyond reasonable doubt”.

IG (Border) Lok Nath Angra had already made it clear that “no deserving policeman will be left out while no undeserving one will be included in the list”. Sources say the final list was vetted by the IG (Border) and DGP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

“The Deputy Chief Minister’s announcement pertaining to cops’ promotion came on August 4. Officials took more than three weeks to finalise the things. Such a long time was taken to ensure that only the deserving policemen were included in the list,” said an officer.