Gandhinagar: A three-and-a-half-year-old Labrador named ‘Check’, a police dog from Anand district police, brought laurels to the state police by winning a gold medal and a bronze medal in two different categories at the 69th All India Police Duty Meet Championship 2025–26, recently held in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

The 69th edition, held in Nagpur (March–April 2026), showcased police K9 squads, forensic experts, and personnel from across the country. The events highlighted explosive and narcotics detection, tracking, agility, and obedience, celebrating the dedication of trained canines.

This marks a proud moment for Gujarat Police, as a state police dog has won two awards, including a gold medal, at the national-level Police Duty Meet after a gap of 16 years.

On Friday, Director General of Police (DGP) K.L.N. Rao, IPS, met the dog, its handler Ramesh Khant, and police dog training consultant Colonel Chandan Singh Rathore at Police Bhavan in Gandhinagar and congratulated them on the achievement.

According to police officials, a total of six dogs from Gujarat Police participated in three different competition categories, with two dogs competing in each category—tracking, explosive detection, and narcotics detection.

“Our dog Check won a gold medal in the tracking category and also secured a bronze medal in the overall tracking category. This is truly a proud moment for Gujarat Police, as we put in strenuous efforts to achieve this feat,” said Chandan Singh Rathore, dog training consultant with Gujarat Police.

A total of 45 dogs from different state police forces and paramilitary units participated in the tracking category, in which Gujarat Police dog ‘Check’ emerged as a gold medallist.

Over 200 dogs from various state police and paramilitary forces took part in different categories during the event.

Prior to this national competition, Gujarat Police had begun preparations well in advance and made sustained efforts to secure a medal.

To prepare for the national event, a special state-level competition of police dogs was organised a few months ago under the guidance of Director General of Police (Training), IPS, Dr Neerja Gotru.

“The selected dogs were given specialised training, placed under a rigorous schedule, and provided proper care. Nine dogs were shortlisted for the national championship, of which six participated in different events,” said a senior police officer.

According to police, there are around 160 police dogs across various districts, trained to carry out different tasks, including explosive detection, narcotics detection, crime tracking, alcohol detection, and even assault operations. DeshGujarat