Don’t reject medal plea without reason, Delhi HC tells Centre

Legal Correspondent 

New Delhi, July 26 

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to reconsider denial of gallantry medal to CRPF constable Rajesh Shukla, who sustained four bullet injuries in his stomach and spine in an anti-terrorist operation in which then Deputy Chief of Khalistan Commando Force (Zaffarwal) Khajan Singh was killed in 1992. 

“Society owes a debt of gratitude to the brave. A nation that honours sacrifice and bravery honours itself. A brave soldier needs to be recognised for his commitment to serve the nation with dignity and honour. It would indeed be a betrayal by the society if a soldier deserving a gallantry is denied the same,” Justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said in the judgment. 

Delivering the verdict on a writ petition by Shukla, the high court quashed a July 15, 2014, order rejecting his plea for a Presidential Police Medal or a Police Medal for showing gallantry without giving any reason. The court noted that the medal also entailed a monthly payment of Rs 4,000 to the awardee.  

The high court said a competent authority should take into account not only the FIR, but also the case diary and the recommendations of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Batala, who had witnessed Shukla’s continued engagement with the terrorist despite grievous injuries, which led to neutralising the terrorist. 

The government should give reasons for rejecting the medal pleas of security personnel, the court said.