Jalandhar, July 11 -- Despite clear directives from the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), the successive Punjab governments since 1996 have failed to strip two controversial former police officials indicted in abduction, torture, and murder of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra of their President's Police Medal for Gallantry. The issue has roared back into public debate following the recent controversy surrounding 'Satluj', a film chronicling Khalra's life. The movie was taken down from the OTT platform Zee5 on June 5, two days after its release, evoking a strong reaction from political outfits in Punjab who are pressing for its re-release. Former Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajit Singh Sandhu and ex-deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jaspal Singh were conferred with the police honour in 1995. The medals recognised their "conspicuous gallantry" during the counter-insurgency operations in Punjab. However, later in the same year, both officers were named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as prime accused in the abduction, torture, and murder of Khalra. On November, 18, 2005, ex-DSP Jaspal Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment by a CBI court in Patiala, a verdict upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2007 and Supreme Court in 2011. SSP Sandhu died by suicide in 1997 while the CBI investigation was still ongoing. Critics argue that Jaspal's life conviction satisfies every requirement for the immediate stripping of his honours. Khalra was allegedly targeted after "exposing the illegal mass cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies by security forces." Despite their alleged involvement in one of Punjab's most notorious human rights violations, a check by HT revealed that the officers' names are proudly displayed on the Punjab Police website's official list of gallantry awardees. The MHA has repeatedly issued guidelines over the years instructing state governments to recommend the forfeiture, withdrawal, or annulment of medals from officers whose conduct brings disrepute to the force. According to MHA letters dated May 29, 2017, addressed to chief secretaries, home secretaries, DGPs, Intelligence Bureau and CBI directors, Rule 6 of the President's Police Medal Rules allows for immediate forfeiture under three specific conditions: If an awardee is convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude; if an officer is dismissed for misconduct; or if the President deems the awardee's conduct disloyal or disgraceful. "It has been observed that the state governments/organisations are not strictly adhering to the guidelines related to withdrawal of medals," the letter stated. The MHA issued directions after an instance came to its notice that a gallantry medal awardee was convicted by the court and subsequently dismissed from service in 2006 but a state government concerned did not bring the facts to the notice of the ministry, as a result, the process of withdrawal of gallantry medal could not be initiated in time. "This is a serious lapse and needs to be avoided at all costs. Otherwise, ineligible and unworthy police officers will continue to be decorated with the prestigious gallantry medals. The states are advised to strictly adhere to the guidelines and the cases must be forwarded with specific recommendations to this ministry immediately for appropriate action," the letter added. On September 6, 1995, Khalra was allegedly abducted from outside his residence in Amritsar by Punjab Police personnel. According to the prosecution, he was taken to the Jhabal police station in Tarn Taran, illegally confined, tortured and subsequently murdered in police custody. His body was never recovered. Following widespread outrage, the CBI took over the probe in 1995 and chargesheeted six Punjab Police personnel, including then DSP Jaspal Singh, sub-inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh, head constable Prithipal Singh, and sub-inspector Amarjit Singh, for abduction, illegal confinement, murder and destruction of evidence. Amarjit Singh was later acquitted. SSP Sandhu was indicted in the CBI chargesheet. Back in August 2001, Jaspal Singh and 14 other medal winners actively threatened to return their awards to protest the wave of human rights prosecutions brought against them, dubbing the legal actions as unfair persecution. This sentiment is still echoed by some veteran officers today. "It is unfair for officials to be stripped of their medals," said a senior Punjab police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "The Punjab Police fought the insurgency with great valour and suffered over 1,700 casualties. Those who committed excesses are already serving life terms or are fighting court battles in their 70s and 80s," he added. Chief secretary KAP Sinha and IG (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Neel Garg, senior spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party, said the responsibility lay with the governments in power from 2002 to 2022 when the MHA wrote these communiques in 2010 and 2017. "No such letter has ever been received ever since the AAP government came to power. "Had we received such directions from the MHA, we would have made serious recommendations for withdrawing the medals of such police personnel," Garg said. As public attention peaks due to the ongoing 'Satluj' row, pressure is mounting on the Punjab government to finally enforce the MHA's long-ignored directives. Rights activists say that keeping convicted murderers on the gallantry list insults the award's integrity. Sarabjit Singh Verka, human rights lawyer and chief investigator at the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), said he wrote to the President and MHA in 2004 and 2006, respectively, seeking withdrawal of gallantry medals from tainted officers, including Sandhu and Jaspal Singh. "Though no written response came from the authorities concerned but the officials of MHA mentioned their inability to take back the medals of convicted officers as it could only be done on the recommendation of the state government concerned. In my knowledge, no Punjab police personnel, who brought bad name to the force, has ever been stripped of a coveted medal," Verka added....