Gallantry award for former police officer: Centre assures of positive solution by August 7

Published 29 July 2026 · india

The Centre on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) told the Supreme Court that it will come up with a "positive solution" by August 7, 2026 on

The Centre on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) told the Supreme Court that it will come up with a "positive solution" by August 7, 2026 on the issue concerning the conferring of the prestigious President's Gallantry Award on a former police officer who shot dead two dacoits during an operation in 2003. On July 20, the Supreme Court had expressed its displeasure over the Centre's non-compliance with a Madhya Pradesh High Court direction to confer the award on former police officer Vivek Singh Chouhan. The Supreme Court, which was hearing an application filed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, had then given the Centre time till July 29 to comply with the high court's order. On Wednesday (July 29, 2026), the application came up for hearing before a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the Bench to list the matter on August 7, 2026. "I am working on it and some solution will be found," the top law officer said.

The counsel appearing for Mr. Chouhan told the Bench that gallantry awards are declared and awarded on August 14-15 every year and the matter may not be adjourned beyond August 7. The Bench noted that in its July 20 order, it had made clear that no further time would be granted. "Today, the Solicitor General has made a request that the matter could be adjourned for August 7 and by the said date, he will come up with a positive solution of the problem," the Bench said, while posting the matter for August 7. On July 20, Mr. Mehta had informed the Supreme Court that the government has filed a review petition against the March 25 order of the Supreme Court affirming the direction of the High Court. The Bench had questioned why the government was not complying with the order while pursuing the review. Mr. Chouhan's lawyer had submitted that his client was waiting for justice for 23 years.

The Home Secretary has approached the Supreme Court against the High Court order that held the Secretary prima facie guilty of contempt for failing to comply with its direction to confer the President's Gallantry Medal on the police officer. The contempt action arose from the Centre's alleged failure to comply with the High Court's December 9, 2024, direction asking the government to confer the gallantry award on Mr. Chouhan within a month. Mr. Chouhan, who was the station house officer of the Ghatigaon police station in Gwalior district in 2003, had led an operation against dacoits after receiving intelligence about their presence in a village. Two dacoits were killed in the encounter, during which Mr. Chouhan himself was also injured. Following a magisterial inquiry that gave him a clean chit, recommendations were made for his out-of-turn promotion and conferring the President's Police Medal for Gallantry on him. After years of litigation, the High Court in 2018 directed the State to forward his name to the Centre for the award.