Review all cases of Padma awards given in past and snatch honours from those found involved in controversies
By MADHU AGRAWAL
It refers to absconding Olympic-medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar (Padma Shree awardee) accused of being involved in killing of a junior wrestler ultimately arrested by Delhi Police on 23.05.2021 with application of his anticipatory bail earlier rejected by the court. This is not the only case of a Padma awardee found involved in unlawful activities. There have been so many cases including some ones where even Padma awards were given to persons already involved in controversies including criminal cases putting big question-mark on method of scrutiny by intelligence agencies to clear names of those selected by Awards committee for Padma awards.
Union Home Ministry should set procedure whereby prestigious national honours including Padma awards and Bharat Ratna may be snatched back from those found involved later after being honoured with Padma awards. There are reports that some of those honoured with Padma awards in recent years, were declined honours in past because of intelligence agencies not having endorsed their names. Submissions filed with Union Home Ministry for taking back Padma awards from some celebrities involved in criminal cases and for being wilful bank-defaulters are not yet decided after years of filing submissions.
Central government should review of all Padma awards given in past by seeking affidavits from the awardees for their not being involved in court-cases and controversies. Members of public can also be invited to send views on adverse aspects of earlier awardees. Rather list of names cleared by Awards committee should be made public before finalisation to enable members of public file their comments on undesirable selected ones. Intelligence agencies should be given sufficient time to verify nominations cleared by Awards Committee by requiring Awards Committee to submit final recommendations by 30th November.
MADHU AGRAWAL is (Guinness Record Holder for letters in newspapers)
Sushil Kumar sent to 6-day police custody in wrestler murder case
AMN
India’s two-time Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar has been sent to six days police custody by a Delhi court in connection with his alleged involvement in the death of a 23-year-old old wrestler Sagar Dhankar.
The police questioned Sushil Kumar inside the court and then sought his custody for 12 days for further interrogation in the matter.
Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra, however, granted six-day custody of him, along with co-accused Ajay.
Sushil was evading arrest and he has been on the run for close to three weeks.
According to the police, he and his associates allegedly assaulted fellow wrestler Sagar and his two friends Sonu and Amit Kumar at the Chhatrasal Stadium on May 4 night. Sagar succumbed to his injuries later.