Rakesh Maria, joint commissioner of police, Mumbai, is a living example and learning lesson for all Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and bureaucrats across the country.
Maria’s is a classic case of “use-and-throw” policy employed by the state government. A “Man Friday” for the government, Maria has not been supported by the government when he needed it the most.
Last week, Maria was embroiled in a controversy when Vinita Kamte, widow of additional commissioner of police Ashok Kamte, who was killed during the November 26, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, released a book, titled To The Last Bullet.
In the book, which is based on the 26/11 terror attacks, Kamte has made scathing remarks against Maria and his functioning on the night of November 26.
This was a time when Maria needed the state government to come out in his support. He in fact even wrote to the government to help him out. But all the government did was to ask him to give his view in writing and asked him to keep quiet about it.
In the past, whenever the government has been in crisis, it has always fallen back on Maria for bailout. So much so that Maria, in his 27-year career, has faced as many as 50 enquiries, including the Ram Pradhan committee, and has come out clean each time. Not even once has any enquiry made negative remarks against Maria.
Former Mumbai police commissioner Julio Ribeiro said the state government seems to be treading wearily. “Rakesh Maria is one of the best, finest and most efficient officers we have. Mrs Kamte is a widow of a martyr and the aura and the sentiments attached to her cannot be hurt. Therefore, even if the government does want to support Maria, it cannot do so openly. The best option is to make the Ram Pradhan Committee report public,” Ribiero said.
Even on 26/11, Maria was never asked to go to the police main control room. He was assigned the task of manning the main control room. Sources in the police department say that no officer from Mumbai police could have handled it better than Maria.
“In fact it was because of Maria that the marine commandos, the Army and the NSG came in so early. Had it not been for Maria, they would have been delayed even further,” said an officer who was present in the control room on the night of 26/11.
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