Activists question the government policy of rewarding the officers
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Six police officers involved in the encounter of Asad, the son of former Member of Parliament Atiq Ahmed, have been selected to receive the President’s Medal of Valour. The officers are part of a larger group of 1,037 police, home guard, fire brigade, and civil defence personnel chosen for this prestigious national award.
Asad, along with Ghulam, an alleged sharpshooter, was shot and killed by the police in Jhansi in broad daylight on April 13, 2023.
The announcement of the award has drawn sharp criticism from social activists, who see it as a reflection of deeper societal biases. “This was a complete cruelty and a one-sided attack. Instead of taking action against the officers responsible, they are being rewarded. This only reinforces their hatred towards Muslims,” Ahmad Naeem, a local activist, said.
The encounter was carried out by a Special Task Force (STF) team led by Deputy Superintendents of Police Navindu Kumar and Vimal Kumar, and occurred amid growing tensions over the alleged wrongdoings of the Samajwadi Party MP. The police had placed a bounty of five lakh rupees on both Asad and Ghulam. Not long after this encounter, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were also shot dead in full presence of the media while in police custody, further fuelling the public’s concerns.
Adding to the controversy, a judicial inquiry conducted into the murder of Atiq and Ashraf cleared the police and government of any wrongdoing. The Rajiv Lochan Commission, formed to investigate the encounter of Asad and Ghulam, also held the encounter as legitimate. However, these findings have done little to quell public outrage.
One resident, speaking anonymously to Clarin India, accused political forces of orchestrating the entire series of events. “The BJP goons deliberately destroyed the family because of its political and social clout,” he claimed.
Despite the controversy, the government has stood by its decision to honour the officers involved. Among the 17 youths from Uttar Pradesh receiving the bravery award, the names of the six officers connected to the Asad encounter include Deputy SPs Vimal Kumar and Navindu Kumar, Inspector Jitendra Kumar Singh, Sub-Inspector Rakesh Kumar Singh Chauhan, Head Constable Anil Kumar, and Constable Hari Om.
As tensions continue to simmer, many are left wondering what this incident says about the state of justice and the treatment of minority communities in the country. For now, the awards stand, but the questions raised by social activists and concerned citizens linger unanswered.
