SACHINDRA NATH DUBEY Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal is directed against the judgment and order by which a learned Single Judge of this Court dismissed the appellant's writ petition (C.W.J.C. No. 9112 of 2000) seeking a direction to the concerned authorities in the Government of India to grant him the President's Police Medal for his acts of gallantry while he was in service.

(2.) The appellant-writ petitioner is a retired police officer who after retirement from service has joined the Bar and has taken to the practice of appearing in person in cases in which he is the petitioner. After being quite unmindful of his claim for more than 16 years, he now seems to be pursuing it with unusual tenacity. From 1996, when the began to pursue the claim in earnest, he has come before the Writ Court three times (not counting the MJ.Cs. filed in-between) and in the third round, the matter has been brought before the Divisional Bench in the internal Court Appeal.

(3.) The claim of the petitioner is based on occurrences taking place on ' 20.5.1971 and 29.6.1975 when he was a Sub-Inspector of Police and was posted respectively as Officer-in-charge, Bakhtiyarpur Police Station and Officer-in-charge, Sahar Police Station. In regard to the occurrence of 20.5.1971, the Inspector General of Police recommended the appellant's -case for police medical for gallantry to the State Government on 12.4.1973. The State Government took its own time for making its recommendation to the Government of India; the recommendation was finally made by Annexure 5 (undated) to the writ petition. In regard to the occurrence of 29.6.1975, the Superintendent of Police, Bhojpur made the proposal for the award of President's Police Medal to the appellant on 27.7.1975. The State Government after the usual delay sent its recommendation to the Government of India on 15.11.1980 (Annexure 7 to the writ petition).