Following a magisterial inquiry that exonerated him, recommendations were made for his out-of-turn promotion and the President's Police Medal for Gallantry. After years of litigation, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the State in 2018 to forward his name to the Centre. Although the State recommended his name in 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs rejected the proposal, triggering another round of litigation before the High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court. During the contempt proceedings, the Centre informed the High Court that the President had approved the Gallantry Medal (GM) for Chouhan. However, the High Court held that this did not amount to compliance, observing that the Gallantry Medal and the President's Gallantry Medal are distinct honours, with the latter being a higher distinction.