Goodbye, Rakesh Maria… and thank you!

The big guy in the picture with me is Rakesh Maria. Whom the Mumbai press dramatically referred to as “Super Cop” in its crime reportage for over 25 years. He’s retiring today. And I don’t know whether to feel happy for Maria or sad for Mumbai. Happy for him, because Maria is a family man, and after years of spending all his waking hours chasing down gangsters and thwarting terrorists, he will finally get to spend quality time with his wife and sons. Sad for Mumbai, because Maria is undeniably the finest investigation and intelligence officer our police force has had; it was his unwavering finger on the pulse of crime and terrorism that helped the Mumbai Police keep the city safe many a time. To think the government can let an officer with his background, knowledge, and contacts go just because he’s reached retirement age is depressing. At 58, Maria is fanatically fit, the man is a celebrated sportsperson, a national-level basketball player, he’s active with life, fully engaged in every aspect of policing, but rules are rules. And they apply to everybody but politicians who can enter the game even at 70 with a history of crime and charge sheets, scams, and court cases, behind them.

Maria is my friend, I have known him for years, from fairly early in his career and mine. And our friendship didn’t grow out of a series of secret meetings that happen between cop and journo and led to sensational stories in the news. But out of a healthy respect for each other professionally. And a mutual appreciation and sharing on a personal level of such fine things in life as good food, music, books, a bonding cup of coffee, and simple, honest conversations that didn’t go anywhere because they weren’t meant to. I’ve known him as an officer and gentleman. There was an IPS officer of character and integrity, of education and intelligence, who chose to make a career in the police not because it came with fame and adulation, power and influence, riches and fringe benefits. But while growing up he was influenced by crime thrillers and Bollywood films in which actors like Amitabh Bachchan donned the khaki and played good cops. And he did his job with a conscience and responsibility towards himself and the city no matter where he was posted.

Unfortunately, good cops like Rakesh Maria tend to get on the wrong side of bad politicians. At the IPS level, all postings are political appointments. And it’s difficult to balance the city’s issues of crime, law, and order, traffic, security, and terrorism on the one hand when you’ve got an insensitive heavyweight politician weighing you down on the other with arbitrary orders issued on a whim and out of spite. That’s what happened to him it pains me to say. And Rakesh Maria retires today, a giant of a man in the Maharashtra Police, who will walk tall and with pride and dignity on his way out because he never bowed before a Mantralaya minister who probably doesn’t know the difference between the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure but will command the police only because we were weak and foolish to vote him into power. I went to see Maria yesterday and it filled my heart with joy to see that the corridor outside his office was packed with hundreds of policemen bearing bouquets of flowers. They had come to salute him one last time. “It’s been like this the whole month,” Maria told me, his face breaking out into a big grin. We chatted for a while during which he told me about his retirement plans. When I was leaving, Rakesh Maria said, “I say, let’s meet up for lunch, I will now have time, and I’m looking forward to reading and listening to my Sufi and country-and-western music, let’s do that, huh?” I came away sad and happy. It’s sad, that Mumbai lost a good cop. Happy, that I had found my friend.