The Delhi Police officers and personnel have been awarded one President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, three President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and 17 Police Medal for Meritorious Service on Republic Day this year.
Constable Naresh Kumar has been conferred the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry posthumously. Naresh had joined the force after seeking voluntary retirement from the Indian Army. After training, he was posted as a beat constable in Ashok Vihar where in the intervening night of May 17-18 last year, he and another constable received information about some criminals fleeing in a Tata 407. The criminals were pelting stones at the policemen chasing them.
The two constables joined the chase on a motorcycle and overtook the vehicle near a drain. The constable also alerted another team to block the road with barricades. “The mini-truck then hit the motorcycle and ran over Constable Naresh killing him on the spot,” said a police officer. The criminals were fleeing after attacking some people with iron rods at a marriage ceremony in Shakurpur.
Joint Commissioner Ashok Kumar Singh, Inspector General R.S. Krishnia, Additional Commissioner Ashok Chand and Assistant Commissioner of Police Asha Thakur have been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. Among those who have been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service are Joint Commissioners Mukesh Meena and Nuzhat Hassan; Additional Commissioner G. C. Dwivedi; Senior Superintendent of Police R. A. Sanjeev; Deputy Commissioner V.A. Gupta; Inspector Madan Gopal; Sub-Inspector Phool Chand; and Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Parkash Dhiyani.
Additional Commissioner Ashok Chand has headed the elite Special Cell for over seven years. “During his tenure, the unit arrested a large number of terrorists, gangsters, criminals and gun-runners and busted espionage rings. He was instrumental in cracking the Parliament attack case in 2001, the Red Fort attack case in 2000 and planting of improvised explosive devices at North-South Block and a grenade attack at the Border Security Force headquarters at CGO Complex,” said a police officer.
The officer said under Mr. Chand’s supervision, a special team arrested 11 Indian Mujahideen , the Israeli diplomat attack case, Jama Masjid bomb blast-cum-shootout and the Pune German Bakery blast cases were worked out and three alleged Babbar Khalsa International militants were also arrested.
