Ghaziabad Police Officers Honored for Major Smuggling Bust on Republic Day
In a significant recognition of investigative prowess, several police officers from Ghaziabad were awarded prestigious DGP medals during the 77th Republic Day celebrations held at the Ghaziabad Police Line. The honors were primarily linked to the successful crackdown on a major illegal cough syrup smuggling racket that had been operating in the region.
Uncovering the Narcotics Smuggling Network
The operation came to light following the arrest of eight members of a smuggling gang on November 4 last year. The breakthrough was initiated by head constable Veer Singh, whose investigation began when three individuals were apprehended in Sonbhadra for smuggling illegal cough syrup valued at approximately Rs 3 crore just a month prior to the larger bust.
The smuggled cough syrup contained codeine, a substance classified under the category of narcotic drugs due to its potential for abuse and addiction. This discovery highlighted the serious nature of the criminal operation that police had managed to dismantle.
Republic Day Honors and Award Ceremony
On Monday, during the Republic Day event, head constable Veer Singh was among the distinguished recipients, receiving the DG Disc Platinum medal for his crucial role in investigating the smuggling racket. He was part of a group of 17 police officers honored at the ceremony, which included an IPS officer among the awardees.
The awards were presented by UP cabinet minister Sunil Sharma, who served as the chief guest for the occasion. The ceremonial parade was led by Deepthi Chowhan, an IPS officer from the 2023 batch who was undergoing her IPS training in the city at the time.
Additional Recognitions for Police Valor
The awards ceremony recognized multiple acts of police bravery and investigative excellence across different cases:
- SHO of Sihani Gate Kuldeep Dixit received the DG Disc Platinum medal for his involvement in an encounter in Agra during May 2025. The operation resulted in the death of a 23-year-old criminal, Aman Kumar, a resident of Jagdishpura in Agra, who along with his associates had killed Yogesh Chaudhary, owner of Balaji Jewellers located at Kargil Crossing, during a robbery at his showroom on May 2.
- Trans-Hindon DCP Nimish Patil was awarded the DG Disc Silver medal for his contributions.
- Other honored officers included SHO of Indirapuram Ravendra Gautam; five sub-inspectors — Naveen Kumar, Pooran Singh, Bobby Singh, Surajbhan Singh and Brijesh Kumar; six head constables — Jaswant Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Devendra Pawar, Deepak Singh, Krishna Kumar and Tarun Kumar; and two constables, Prashant Kumar and Manjeet Kumar.
Noida Police Also Receive Distinguished Honors
In a parallel ceremony in Noida, the DG Disc Gold — Shaurya — medal was presented to deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Ravi Shankar Nim and ACP Deeksha Singh. The event featured Jaswant Saini, UP minister of state for parliamentary affairs, as chief guest, who hoisted the national flag.
The ceremonial parade was organized under the leadership of first parade commander Diksha Bhoria, assistant commissioner of police, second parade commander Shakeel Ahmed, assistant police commissioner, and third parade commander Nekram Singh.
Additional awards in Noida included the DG Disc Silver — Shaurya — medal presented to inspector Munendra Singh; sub inspectors Ankur Singh Rana, Lalit Kumar and Sushil Kumar; computer operator Dharmendra Kumar Singh; and head constables Akash Malik, Ashish Kumar, Ashish Baliyan, Guddu Panwar and constables Amit Kumar, Rajeev and Sumit Kumar.
Special Rewards Announced for Parade Participants
Commissioner Laxmi Singh announced special incentives for officers and employees who participated in the grand parade demonstration at Police Lines, Surajpur. Each platoon commander and parade commander will receive Rs 5,100 as a cash reward. Furthermore, every policeman who took part in the parade will be granted three days' reward leave in recognition of their participation in the grand Republic Day celebrations.
