15 CBI officers awarded 'Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation'

CBI officer V K Shukla, who is probing the death of Jharkhand Judge Uttam Anand, is among 15 officers of the agency awarded the 'Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation' for the year 2021, officials said Thursday.

Vijay Kumar Shukla, Additional Superintendent of Police of Special Crime Unit of the agency, who is investigating the judge's death, had probed other sensational cases like the custodial killing of a father and son in Sathankulam police station.

Deputy SPs, Sham Datt who probed the death of Neha Kumari, wife of a Jammu and Kashmir police officer, Kaushal Kishore Singh, who probed bank fraud cases, Rajender Singh Gosain, who probed disproportionate assets case of a Surat development commissioner Ananda Krishanan T P who probed the death of violinist Balabhaskar Chandran were among those chosen for the coveted medal awarded by the Home Ministry.

Dy SPs, Atul Hajela who led the probe in the case of missing Pardi community woman, Maharshi Ray Hajong who booked IRS officer Swetabh Suman in Rs 40 lakh bribery case and Ashutosh Kumar who probed kidnapping of a minor girl from Bhind district were also awarded.

Inspectors Sardar Singh Chauhan whose probe unearthed Thiruvananthapuram gold bar smuggling, Ravinder Kumar who arrested an ex-CBI officer in a bribery case, A Bama who unraveled fraudulent tax refund case, Rakesh Kumar Srivastava who probed one of the Vyapam cases, Deepak who is investigating murder of a St Stephen's hospital doctor, Pachaiammal Sampath Kumar who investigated Pollachi sexual assault case and Tarun Gaur who probed online fraud in a scheme named on Deen Dayal Upadhyay also received the coveted prize.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (Government of India) has initiated this scheme for award of medals to the members of Central Investigating Agencies and State/UT Police Investigating Agencies for excellence in investigation.

"The objective for institution of the medals for police investigators is to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime in the State Police and Central Investigating Agencies in the country and to recognize such excellence in investigation by investigating officers of police organisations," CBI Spokesperson RC Joshi said.