1046. Replacement of lost medals. [§ 12, Act V, 1861].
(a)When it is reported that a medal has been lost, all available evidence regarding the loss should be recorded and the Superintendent will note his opinion as to whether the loss occurred (i) when the man was on duty and from causes entirely beyond his control; (ii) by accident; or (iii) wilfully, and whether the medal should be replaced at public expense or otherwise. In cases falling under (i) and (ii) application for replacement shall be made to the Inspector-General through the Deputy Inspector-General, in B. P. Form No. 199, and the proceedings in Army Department Form No. A. F. A. 2. The application shall be written on foolscap paper, ruled lengthwise, a margin of an inch being left on each side of the paper, and all names written in printed characters. These shall be submitted in duplicate with a transmitting letter giving the description of the medals and the various clasps, if any. The application shall be accompanied by the following certificate, and the Treasury officer's receipt for the cost of the decoration:-"Certified that after a careful investigation I am satisfied that the decorations were lost in an accidental manner, involving no culpability on the part of the loser."In cases falling under (iii) proceedings shall be drawn up against the police officer concerned, and, if sentenced to a major punishment, he must serve three years of uninterrupted good conduct before he can be recommended for the grant of a new medal on paying the value thereof.It is necessary that the replacement of medals should be carefully safeguarded, and every effort made to prevent their falling into the possession of unauthorised persons.For this reason, it is seldom that medals can be permitted to be replaced at the public expense. Such replacement is confined to cases in which the loss of the medal was due entirely to unavoidable circumstances, such as shipwreck, fire, etc. In interpreting this regulation, care should be taken to differentiate between such accidental losses as might ordinarily be incurred in private life and those which are incurred solely through the exigencies of the service. Thus, loss by theft, burglary, loss of baggage while travelling, or loss due to defective fastenings, etc., are such as might be incurred by any individual and are not, therefore, to be considered as fair charges against the public.(b)In the case of men who earned the decorations in regiments which have been disbanded, the application shall be forwarded direct, after investigation by the Superintendent, to the Officer Commanding the Unit to which the person belonged when the medal was granted, for verification and disposal.(c)When the clasps are not lost, they shall be transmitted with the application to be attached to the new medal.(d)In the case of military medals, the Inspector-General will record his opinion or the application and forward it to the Central Government, Defence Department.(e)Unclaimed medals of deceased men shall be forwarded to the officer-in-charge, Medal Section, Central Government, Defence Department.(f)All representations with reference to the grant of the Royal Humane Society's medals shall be forwarded to that Society through the Central Government.(g)Applications for replacement of the original Delhi Durbar Medals (1911) granted to officers of the Police Department should be addressed to the Provincial Government by the Inspector-General.(h)The authority to which the application is made will then verify the claim, investigate the loss and, if considered necessary, sanction the replacement of the medal. This procedure will also apply to the case of pensioners. In their case, however, the loss should be investigated by the civil officer of the district in which the pensioner resides. A charge of the sum of Rs. 8 will be made for replacing a silver medal.II - Rewards.
