E-Paper
Haryana couldn’t have proposed gallantry medals pending report on use of force
When the high court-appointed panel is yet to give its report on the use of force on protesters at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border, experts ask how the state government can propose medals for police personnel.
The Haryana government’s proposal for the award of gallantry medals to two police officers for showing exceptional courage during the farmers’ protest at Khanauri border in Jind was not in consonance with the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) guidelines.
The state government, legal experts said, could not have proposed gallantry medals for Jind superintendent of police (SP) Sumit Kumar and deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Amit Bhatia as a high court-appointed committee is yet to give its findings if the use of force during the agitation was commensurate with the situation at Khanauri border.
The October 16, 2023, MHA guidelines outlining the nomination process for gallantry medals say that “if any court case/judicial proceedings/clarification of litigation, etc, is pending of the case, the entire proposal may be withheld till such time when all the issues are resolved.”
“Whether the force used by the government was commensurate with the situation at Khanauri is yet to be established in the judicial inquiry, this aspect is still being examined by a former high court judge to determine whether excess force was used or not on the farmers. How can the government propose gallantry medals in such a situation?,’’ said a senior lawyer associated with an ongoing public interest litigation on farmers stir.
State officials did not respond when reached for comment.
The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) had on March 7 appointed a committee headed by a former HC judge, justice (retd) Jaishree Thakur, to examine whether the use of force during the agitation was commensurate with the situation and give its report.
Thakur was also asked by the HC to give a report on the issue of jurisdiction for investigating the death of young farmer Shubh Karan on February 21 at Khanauri, look into the cause of Shubh Karan’s death, find out from which weapon the bullet/pellet emanated and work on the issue of compensation to be awarded to the family of the deceased.
The HC in its July 10 order had nominated Haryana IPS officer B Satheesh Balan to investigate the first information report (FIR) registered regarding the death of Shubh Karan in view of the court appointed committee’s findings that he was standing within the revenue estate of Data Singh Wala village in Jind when he was hit by the bullets on National Highway- 44.
The state government’s proposal for award of gallantry medals to six police officers, including three IPS officers, for stopping farmers from advancing towards the national capital has come in for sharp criticism from farmer bodies. BJP sources said that the proposal also has the potential to backfire and harm the ruling party in the assembly elections.
The MHA has already sought a few clarifications from the state government on the proposals for the award of gallantry medals to the cops.
In a July 8 communication, the ministry has asked the state government to send correct information regarding the joint operation conducted by the state police with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) as it was admitted in the proposal that CAPF participated in the operation but the same was denied by the government. The central ministry has also sought details of firing done by all nominees and disposal or status of criminal cases against agitators.
According to the MHA guidelines governing gallantry medals, in case of joint operation of different units or forces, the role played by them and their personnel must be properly highlighted. The state government after receiving a recommendation from the director general of police (DGP) had proposed the names of inspector general of police, Ambala Range, Sibash Kabiraj, the then Ambala SP Jashndeep Singh Randhawa, Jind SP Sumit Kumar, all IPS officers, and three Haryana Police Service (HPS) officers, including Narender Singh, Ram Kumar and Amit Bhatia, for gallantry medals.
In his proposal to the state government, DGP Shatrujeet Kapur said these officers are being recommended for gallantry medal for their exceptional bravery and leadership during the farmers protest so that they work with greater zeal in future and motivate others cops to follow in their footsteps.
Tejveer Singh, a spokesman of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), said Haryana’s move has proved that farmers are anti-national for the BJP as they are honouring police personnel who attacked farmers with lathis and bullets. “Have you heard any government honouring police for firing bullets and stopping the path of fellow citizens?” he said.
