The Hindu : Police medal winner suspended for dereliction of duty

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2003

National

National

Police medal winner suspended for dereliction of duty

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR Aug. 19. A recipient of the prestigious President's police medal in Gujarat has found himself served with a suspension order for alleged dereliction of duty.

The police head constable, Yakub Patel, attached to the Broach district police, was awarded the President's police medal for meritorious service in checking smuggling of drugs while he was in the narcotics cell of the State police.

But only a few hours before his name figured in the prestigious list, he was served with the suspension order in connection with a gambling raid in Palej, a small town in Broach district six months ago. A senior State Home Department official said a departmental inquiry had revealed that Yakub was involved with the owners of the gambling den for which he was served with the suspension order.

The official did not see anything unusual in the suspension of the President's police medal winner. He cited the instance of an official of Additional Police Commissioner's rank who was suspended and his President's police medal withheld for alleged unprovoked firing on a religious procession in Surat in which seven persons were killed.

He was handed over the medal only after he was cleared of the charges.

He said the process for recommendations for the President's medal begin some six to eight months before the Independence Day celebrations and were based on the person's track record in the last 10 years.

If the person was found guilty of dereliction of duty afterwards, he had to be suspended.

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