CBI sleuths probing Bengal violence among 29 awarded Prez medals

Central Bureau of Investigation officers probing post-poll violence cases in West Bengal besides the one who busted big bribery cases in Railways are among 29 agency sleuths awarded police medals on the occasion of Republic Day, officials said.

Joint Director Ramnish Geer, who led the probe in cases like housing scam allegedly involving the then Union minister Sheila Kaul, Naval war room leak case, kidnapping of an NRI businessman and his release besides other high profile anti-corruption cases, received the coveted President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

He was among the four CBI joint directors rushed from Delhi to West Bengal to oversee post poll violence cases reported in the state last year.

Others awarded the medal include Additional Superintendents of Police Satish Kumar Rathi, Anil Kumar Yadav, Deputy SP Nat Ram Meena, Assistant Sub-Inspector Bansidhar Bijarnia, and Head Constable Mehboob Hasan.

Police Medals for Meritorious Service went to 23 officers of the agency including Deputy Inspector General Akhilesh Kumar Singh, who is also in-charge of several cases of post poll violence in West Bengal.

Another DIG Nitin Deep Blaggan who probed several high profile graft cases including Rs 1 crore bribery case involving a senior Northeast Frontier Railways Engineer has also been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

Others who received the medal include Additional SP Arvind Kumar Upadhyay, Deputy SPs Ananda Krishnan T P, Sanjay Kumar Gautam, Vikash Kumar Pathak, Alok Kumar Shahi and Subramanyam Devendran, Inspectors Nakul Singh Yadav, Amit Kumar, Rakesh Ranjan and Mahesh Vijay Parkar, Sub-inspector Anil Kumar, ASI Dharminder Singh, Head Constables Chander Pal, Loganathan Rengasamy, K V Jagannath Reddy, Harbhan Singh and Mahesh Madhavrao Gajarlwar, Constables R Jaisankar and Kaushliya Devi, Office Superintendent Om Prakash Naithani and Crime Assistant Satyabrata Saha.