Supreme Court Orders Centre to Grant Gallantry Award to Ex-Cop

The Supreme Court of India has issued a firm deadline to the Union government, granting it four weeks to confer a gallantry award on a former Madhya Pradesh police officer. During the proceedings, Justice Nath explicitly questioned the government's failure to comply with prior judicial directions, especially given that the state had been simultaneously pursuing a review petition against the same matter.

This judicial order follows a prolonged legal battle concerning the recognition of the former officer's service and specific acts of bravery. The government had previously sought to contest the awarding of the honor through a review mechanism, a move the bench found inconsistent with the requirement for timely implementation of its earlier rulings. The court's insistence on a four-week timeline underscores its frustration with the perceived bureaucratic delays in finalizing the honor for the officer.

The government must now navigate the administrative requirements to fulfill the Court's directive within the stipulated period or face further legal scrutiny. This decision highlights the judiciary's role in enforcing timely implementation of honors for public servants and emphasizes the limits of the executive branch's ability to stall court orders through secondary review processes. The case will likely be monitored to ensure complete compliance by the Union government within the designated timeframe.