Maharashtra government forwards proposal for Padma Vibhushan to Khashaba Jadhav

The Government of Maharashtra has informed the Bombay High Court that it has sent a proposal for the Padma Vibhushan award to 1952 Olympic bronze medalist Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav. The government also said it would send proposals before July 31, the last nomination date for the 2027 Padma Awards.

Bench Justices Madhav Jamdar and Pravin Patil of the Kolhapur bench of the Supreme Court had last month asked the Center and State government to decide on conferring Padma Vibhushan after Jadhav’s death. On May 7, the Court accepted the State government’s plea and posted the matter for hearing on June 30.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Kusteeveer Khashaba Jadhav Foundation, founded by Jadhav’s son Ranjeet. The PIL sought directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (Padma Award Cell) to consider the foundation’s representation regarding the award.

Jadhav, who died in 1984, won a bronze medal at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. He was given the Arjuna Award after his death in 2001. The wrestler’s family has made various representations to the government, the PIL said. The foundation moved to the Supreme Court after receiving no response.