Ten officers and personnel of the Haryana Police’s Special Task Force (STF) have been selected for the prestigious ‘Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence’ for 2026 in recognition of their exemplary work in the fields of Intelligence and Special Operations (counterterrorism).
In the Intelligence category, SSP Wasim Akram, DSP Pradeep, Sub-Inspector Varun and Constable Varun Jangra have been selected for the honour. In the Special Operations category, the award recipients include DSP Aman Kumar, Sub-Inspector Gaurav Singh, Sub-Inspector Randeep Singh, Sub-Inspector Kapil, Sub-Inspector Sandeep and Constable Sajan Singh.
The award, instituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on February 1, 2024, recognises police personnel at the national level for exceptional professional skills, dedication to duty, distinguished service, and outstanding contributions during challenging operations. The award primarily recognises achievements in key areas such as Special Operations (counterterrorism), excellence in investigation, forensic science and intelligence.
The Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF) has been recognised in the Special Operations category for its success in a comprehensive and challenging counterterrorism operation targeting the network of Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti.
Acting on precise intelligence and leveraging technical surveillance, digital evidence analysis, and effective coordination with police agencies across states, the Haryana Police STF carried out a well-planned operation against the network. The operation led to the unearthing of terror modules operating across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the arrest of 24 terrorists and their associates.
The Haryana Police STF also achieved significant success in the Intelligence category, demonstrating exceptional intelligence coordination and professional competence at the international level. The team played a pivotal role in the extradition of Venkat Garg, a fugitive from Ambala, from Georgia to India. Garg was wanted in 34 serious criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, extortion, illegal possession of weapons and organised crime.
Through sustained intelligence gathering, coordination with international agencies and effective follow-up of legal procedures, Venkat Garg was brought back to India on June 11, 2026. Investigations revealed that the accused had fled abroad after obtaining a passport through fraudulent means and had been operating his criminal network from overseas.
Before fleeing abroad, 23 criminal cases had been registered against the accused, while an additional 11 cases were registered against him during his stay overseas.
Expressing satisfaction over this national-level achievement, Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Ajay Singhal congratulated all the Haryana Police STF officers and personnel selected for the medal. He said that Haryana Police personnel had taken the department’s reputation to new heights through their precise intelligence gathering, strategic acumen, indomitable courage and exemplary professionalism.