New Delhi: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has formally requested the immediate revocation of national gallantry decorations previously awarded to police personnel who were later legally convicted in the Jaswant Singh Khalra abduction and murder case. In an official communication addressed directly to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the religious administrative body urged the state government to recommend the formal withdrawal of the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry from former law enforcement officials. The request specifically names former Senior Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh Sandhu and former Deputy Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh, both of whom were judicially implicated in the targeted human rights violations.
The joint correspondence, authored by committee president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon, expressed profound concern over the fact that individuals found guilty of severe state excesses continue to hold prestigious national distinctions. The leadership argued that allowing convicted former officers to retain state honours actively compromises the integrity of the judicial system and weakens public trust in institutional accountability. They emphasized that national awards intended for genuine valor should have no place in the hands of individuals legally proven to have violated basic constitutional rights.
The committee paid extensive tribute to the legacy of Jaswant Singh Khalra, characterizing the late activist as a courageous defender of civil liberties who risked his life to document the disappearance of thousands of citizens during a turbulent era in Punjab. The statement highlighted that Khalra’s pioneering documentation work remains a global benchmark for human rights advocacy. The organization noted that continuing to honor the perpetrators of his forced disappearance constitutes a direct insult to his memory and deeply affects the spiritual and cultural sentiments of the global Sikh community.
Concluding the appeal, the leadership urged the Punjab government to demonstrate strong administrative oversight and moral courage by initiating the formal stripping of the medals through appropriate central government channels without any further bureaucratic delays. The committee emphasized that for true accountability to exist in a democratic framework, the state must ensure that symbolic honors are aligned with the rule of law. They stated that withdrawing these decorations is a necessary step to show the public that the government remains fully committed to upholding justice and protecting human dignity.
