A woman, widow of a martyred police Station House Officer (SHO), has declared to return the President's Police Medal for Gallantry bestowed on her husband posthumously in the wake of his killers being acquitted by a court in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district.
SHO Veer Singh Sapre's wife Rekha Sapre has written a letter to the President in this regard. A communication in this regard has also been sent to the Prime Minister. Sapre said Bhil tribesmen launched an armed assault against policemen probing the rape of a Bhil girl under Chachaunda police station limits in 2006. Her husband, who was posted at Kumbhraj, left for the spot as the Chachaunda SHO was on leave.
She said her husband, who was left alone to fend off the assailants as other policemen escaped, was killed. Twenty-five Bhil tribesmen were named accused while other accused were unidentified.
Sapre alleged that the police witness officer and the public prosecutor did not argue the case properly leading to the acquittal. Certain police officials changed their statement to benefit the accused.
Superintendent of Police in charge of Guna Surendra Singh Tomar said that an appeal is being filed against the verdict. Related documents in this connection have been dispatched to Bhopal.