CHENNAI: Four police officials – including three IPS officers from the Tamil Nadu Police and from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chennai zone – have been selected for the Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak (home minister’s medal) 2026 for excellence in investigation and intelligence work.
The awardees from the Tamil Nadu Police are Madhu Kumari, IPS, who is SP and commandant of the Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) VI Battalion in Madurai, and V Satish Kumar, IPS, who is SP of Tiruvarur district.
The awardees from the NCB – P Aravindhan, IPS, who is additional director, and Jubin Sam, sub-inspector – have been recognised for their role in identifying and dismantling transnational drug cartels operating through the darknet and using cryptocurrencies to facilitate their activities. The Chennai zone had busted two major darknet-based drug cartels in 2026 and another in 2025, the bureau said.
The union home affairs ministry announced the awardees on Saturday, coinciding with the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which is observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day).