The Delhi High Court has directed the Honours and Awards Committee to consider the representation of Retired Brigadier NB Singh for conferring Gallantry Award upon his father who had sacrificed his life in the 1965 war.

The bench of Justice Najmi Waziri and Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain directed the committee to consider expediting its process of consideration of the representation and render its decision preferably, within a period of three months.

The Order came on a plea by Retired Brigadier N B Singh. He had submitted that his father was a soldier who sacrificed his life in the 1965 war in heroic and gallant circumstances. He stated that his father Late Major Mohan Singh should be considered for a Gallantry Award.

The previous order has reproduced the condolence messages both from the then Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri as well as the then Defence Minister, Y. B. Chavan.

G.V. Rao, the senior counsel for the appellant submitted that, so far, the case of Late Major Mohan Singh has not been considered by the appropriate Committee; that although the appellant’s father was martyred in the rank of a Captain, he was posthumously given the rank of Major and this in itself, is an acknowledgment of the soldier’s gallant act.

He, therefore, contended that the matter should be taken to its logical conclusion i.e. a Gallantry Award should be conferred upon Late Major Mohan Singh.

CGSC Anurag Ahluwalia appeared for the Union of India.

“…let this appeal be considered as the appellant’s representation by the Honours and Awards Committee at the Army Headquarters level.”, the Court directed.

The Court also remarked that the facts of this case are unique and pertain to the war which happened almost 58 years ago, therefore, the order shall not be treated as a precedent.

Cause Title- Birg N B Singh (Retd) v. Union of India & Ors. (Neutral Citation Number: 2023/DHC/001471)

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Delhi High CourtJustice Najmi WaziriJustice Sudhir Kumar Jain

Ashish Shaji