Rare honour for UP's IPS officer

Lucknow: Senior superintendent of police ATS Rajesh Pandey became the second IPS officer in the country to bag President's medal for gallantry for the fourth time on Sunday. ADG law and order UP Daljeet Chaudhary was the first IPS officer in the country to receive the prestigious honour four times.
Nine officers of UP Police, including IPS officer G K Goswami have been selected for the gallantry medal. Goswami is currently on central deputation and posted with the CBI. He has been decorated with the second bar for gallantry for an operation during his posting as SSP Moradabad. SP Hardoi Umesh Kumar Singh is among the awardees.
SSP ATS Rajesh Pandey and SP Hardoi Umesh Kumar Singh got the gallantry award for a sensational police encounter in Kolkata in December 1998 in which four members of Babloo Srivastava gang were killed and two arrested. The gang was planning to kidnap a business tycoon when police foiled their plan. Pandey has earlier bagged three gallantry awards for operations against dreaded gangsters and is the found-member of UP STF.