NEW DELHI — In a crucial turn of events for a retired officer waiting over two decades for his bravery to be officially recognized, the Union Government on Wednesday assured the Supreme Court that it will present a "positive solution" by August 7 regarding the award of the prestigious President's Gallantry Medal to former police officer Vivek Singh Chouhan.
The submission was made before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which was hearing an application filed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. Representing the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the court to list the matter on August 7, stating, "I am working on it and some solution will be found."
High Court Contempt Notice and Delayed Compliance
The top court had previously expressed strong displeasure on July 20 over the Centre’s failure to comply with a Madhya Pradesh High Court order directing the government to confer the honor on Chouhan. At that time, the Supreme Court granted the government time until July 29 to implement the order, explicitly stating that no further extensions would be granted.
The legal tussle stems from contempt proceedings initiated by the High Court against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan for failing to execute its December 9, 2024 directive. The High Court had mandated that the Centre confer the President's Gallantry Medal on Chouhan within one month.
Although the Centre later submitted a compliance report indicating that the President had approved a "Gallantry Medal (GM)" for the ex-cop, the High Court rejected the response as insufficient. The High Court emphasized that the "President's Gallantry Medal" is a far higher, distinct honor compared to the general "Gallantry Medal" routinely distributed to multiple personnel.
A 23-Year Fight for Valor
The origin of the dispute traces back to 2003, when Chouhan served as the Station House Officer (SHO) of Ghatigaon police station in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district. Acting on critical intelligence, Chouhan spearheaded an anti-dacoity operation in a local village. During the intense firefight, Chouhan sustained injuries while successfully neutralizing two notorious dacoits.
A subsequent magisterial inquiry gave Chouhan a clean chit and recommended him for an out-of-turn promotion along with the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry. However, bureaucratic hurdles stalled the process for years.
In 2018, following initial litigation, the High Court instructed the Madhya Pradesh state government to forward Chouhan’s name to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Although the state recommended his nomination in 2019, the MHA turned down the proposal later that year, triggering another long chain of appeals across the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Upcoming August Deadline
Appearing for Chouhan, senior counsel stressed that national gallantry awards are traditionally announced ahead of Independence Day on August 14–15, urging the bench not to grant any further delay beyond August 7.
Taking note of Solicitor General Mehta's personal assurance, the Supreme Court agreed to post the matter for hearing on August 7, expecting a final, positive resolution from the central government.
