Gallantry awards for 17 police personnel in UP on Independence Day

Senior IPS officer and renowned encounter specialist Ajay Kumar Sahni has been selected for the prestigious President’s Gallantry Medal for his exceptional bravery in the line of duty. This will be Sahni’s third President’s medal, marking a rare achievement in Indian policing.

A 2009-batch IPS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Sahni is currently posted in Bareilly district. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has held the position of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in several districts across the state. Known for his fearless approach and sharp policing instincts, Sahni has led 52 police encounters, neutralising several notorious criminals and gangsters.

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His earlier gallantry award came on January 26, 2020, for his courageous role in an encounter with a dangerous criminal while serving as SSP Meerut. In that incident, Sahni led a team that intercepted two armed criminals riding a motorcycle. As the criminals opened fire on the police, injuring two officers, Sahni remained undeterred. A bullet narrowly missed him, but he continued the pursuit. During the intense gunfight, the infamous Naidu gang leader Shiv Shakti Naidu — who carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh — was injured and later succumbed to his injuries. The UP government had hailed Sahni’s bravery as “extraordinary and rare.”

Joining Sahni on the gallantry honours list is Uttar Pradesh STF’s DSP Dharmesh Kumar Shahi, popularly known as D K Shahi, who has also been awarded a gallantry medal for his role in the controversial but significant encounter of wanted dacoit Mangesh Yadav in Sultanpur on September 2, 2024.

Shahi’s name had triggered political debate following the release of a viral photo from the encounter site, in which he was seen wearing slippers while leading the STF operation. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had alleged caste-based targeting in the killing and publicly criticised Shahi’s conduct, stating, “If he had brains, he wouldn’t have conducted an encounter in slippers.”

Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur also questioned the legitimacy of the operation, commenting, “First time I’ve seen an encounter in slippers.” Despite the controversy, D K Shahi remains one of STF’s most dynamic officers, with several high-profile encounters under his leadership.

Apart from Sahni and Shahi, other police personnel from UP have also been named for the Gallantry Medal. These include Deepak Kumar Singh (Deputy Superintendent of Police), Munish Pratap Singh Chauhan, Hemant Bhushan Singh (Inspectors), Aksaya Parveer Kumar Tyagi, Mukesh Kumar, Dinesh Chandra (Sub Inspectors), Vinod Kumar, Pramod Kumar, Arun Kumar, Tinkal, Manoj Kumar, Yashwant Singh, Neeraj Kumar Pandey (Head Constables), and Rajan Kumar and Mukesh Singh (Constables).

The gallantry medals will be formally conferred in a ceremony scheduled later this year.