Died saving 11 lives in LPG blast 13 yrs ago, but no recognition for Jind youth

Providing relief to a man who has been fighting for 13 years for recognition of his son’s sacrifice, who saved 11 people in an LPG blast incident in Jind, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has asked the state Chief Secretary to furnish “a detailed accountability report” fixing responsibility for the “inordinate delay”.

On December 8, 2012, a house at Pillukhera in Jind was in flames due to LPG leakage. Saurabh Garg (20), who was a neighbour, rushed to the spot carrying a ladder. He evacuated 11 persons, including women and children. It was only after everyone was secured that a massive explosion occurred. The ceiling of the house came down, killing him.

Garg’s father, Chander Bhan, has been struggling for recognition for his son. According to the record, the then DC recommended the case to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Haryana, within a week of the incident. Thereafter, repeated communications followed on December 14, 2012, January 15, 2015, August 23, 2022, September 27, 2022, September 29, 2023, and August 13, 2024.

Garg’s name was also mentioned during obituaries in the Vidhan Sabha on February 22, 2013. Letters from the Prime Minister's Office, dated December 24, 2012, and January 11, 2013, had also been addressed to the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, demonstrating national-level acknowledgment of the tragedy.

However, Garg didn’t get any recognition for his act of bravery. His father approached the commission and submitted that at the time, there existed a well-established policy framework of the Centre, facilitating the state government in recommending acts of gallantry and life-saving for the grant of National Awards. There was delay and negligence in moving the file within the prescribed timeline by the authorities, he added.

“…this Commission is vividly moved to record its highest appreciation that such gallantry, where a young citizen voluntarily risks and ultimately sacrifices his life for the safety of others, epitomises the highest ideals of humanity and deserves to be honoured by the nation,” the commission recorded at the outset of the order.

It observed, “Despite this clear chain of recommendations and the extraordinary merit of the case, the matter was never processed to a conclusion in time. Instead, it remained caught in administrative delays.”

The Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department informed the commission that, in view of the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification dated April 1, 2024 — which restricts nominations to cases within the last two years — Garg’s name could not be considered for the Prime Minister's Jeevan Raksha Padak.

“This Commission is constrained to observe that the denial of recognition to the late Sh. Saurabh Garg is not due to any lack of merit in his act of bravery but solely on account of the dereliction and administrative apathy of the public authorities concerned, who blatantly failed to move on the recommendation in a timely manner,” it said, adding that Rs 5 lakh by the government to the family, though appreciated, could not be a substitute for “institutional honour and national recognition.”

Besides seeking a report from the Chief Secretary on the delay in processing the case, the commission asked the government to take up the matter afresh with the MHA, requesting relaxation of the restriction imposed in processing the case for the Jeevan Raksha Padak and that it should consider conferring a “state-level gallantry award” on Garg.

The commission directed sending a copy of the order to the CM so that “suitable steps for appropriate recognition may be undertaken at the highest level.”

It also issued directions to the Secretary, Market Committee, Pillukhera, “for cleanliness, landscaping, lighting, and upkeep of the Garg’s statue and surrounding area.”

'Highest ideals of humanity'

“…this Commission is vividly moved to record its highest appreciation that such gallantry, where a young citizen voluntarily risks and ultimately sacrifices his life for the safety of others, epitomises the highest ideals of humanity and deserves to be honoured by the nation.” — Haryana Human Rights Commission