https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The IPS Officer Known for His Bold Steps to Diffuse Communal Tensions 

Indian Masterminds Stories

India is no stranger to communal tensions and riots. Of late, too, the country is experiencing palpable tensions among different communities on religious and caste lines. The same situation was witnessed  nearly two decades back in Rajasthan. The Trishul Deeksha organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad on a mass level had resulted in hyper activity  among Hindu fundamentalist, which further led to increased tensions between different groups. 

At that time, IPS officer MK Devarajan was IG Intelligence and he took a bold step by putting VHP, International  General Secretary of that time, Praveen Togadia, behind bars and reversed the volatile situation in the state. 

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 1977-batch officer of Rajasthan cadre spoke about this incident and some other major highlights of his career. 

ARRESTING PRAVEEN TOGADIA 

Mr. Devarajan, who had served in IB for five years, was posted as IG, Intelligence during early 2004. Rajasthan  which used to have on an average of about 20 incidents of communal tension  and two riots  per year witnessed several fold increase of these during the previous year. During that time, Trishul Deeksha was being organised on mass level adding fuel to the whole situation. Mr. Devarajan said, “The weapon was only said to be a trishul but it was  totally different  from the traditional one. It was just like a dagger with two cuts in it. Mostly these were distributed by VHP in communally sensitive areas to increase their influence.  Realizing the adverse effects of  this, Madhya Pradesh government had already banned it and Rajasthan also followed the same.” 

After the ban, Praveen Togadia first visited Ajmer  where in a public  meeting he he distributed trishuls  and gave a highly provocative speech. Mr. Devarajan and his team arrested Togadia from there and managed to keep him behind bars for 10 days. This, coupled with registration of cases against some prominent leaders for giving objectionable speeches, resulted in reduction of all kinds of communal tension incidents. It had a huge impact as for the first time, Togadia was inside lock-up for so many days. 

“He used to be a hot potato and after every arrest he used to get out in no time. Such was his influence! We had arrested him under sedition charges which is mired in a lot of controversies these days. However, we had full justification for our action. Many DGPs other states called me to know how  we managed to  book Togadia so effectively.” Mr. Devarajan said.

NAGRIK SAMITI 

He had also served as SP of three districts – Jhalwar, Nagaur and Tonk. In these postings, his work majorly involved managing the law and order. “Community policing was still in infancy stage in India at that time. Nothing big was happening on that front. However, in 1989, when I was in Nagaur, the then DGP had started the establishment of Nagrik Samiti in every police station. The Samiti was there to help us in maintaining good  rapport with the public and know their needs. It also helped  the police in managing emergency situations,” said the officer. 

However, after  the  retirement of the DGP who started it, the initiative  gradually forgotten.  In 1993-94, when Mr. Devarajan was posted as DIG, Bikaner range, he re-introduced the concept and received lot of appreciation for it. . Later, when Rajasthan Police introduced community policing in a major way and got national and international recognition for it, Mr. Devarajan was the Nodal Officer for Community Policing in Rajasthan from 2005 to 2009. He is a founder member of National Police Mission where he headed Micro Mission 2 dealing with Community Policing until his retirement and he continues to be its co-opted member. He has submitted maximum number of reports to the Mission from among all its members.  

This is not all. There is much more to this officer. Mr. Devarajan is also the man behind forming the silicosis policy in Rajasthan. To know how and why he introduced it, wait for the second part of his story, which will be published soon. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
mp
MP’s Rs3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, Rs5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
FINNOVATION 2025
SBI & IIT Guwahati Celebrate FINNOVATION 2025 Winners in Gurugram, Empowering Young Innovators to Solve Banking Challenges
nitish-kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Inaugurates Rs 44 Crore Six-Lane Pull-Up Ramp in Patna, Aims to Ease Traffic Congestion- Know More
CM yogi
UP: CM Yogi Inaugurates Two New Kalyan Mandaps in Gorakhpur, Emphasizes Accessible Celebration Spaces- Full Details Inside
CISF
National Security at Risk: Centre Opposes Supreme Court Ruling Curtailing IPS Deputation in CAPFs, Says IPS Presence is Crucial
sbk-singh-1753948795
IPS SBK Singh Appointed as Delhi’s New DG of Prisons After Brief Police Commissioner Stint
D
PNB Housing Finance Appoints D. Surendran as Non-Executive Nominee Director; Brings 35 Years of Banking Experience - Know More About His Journey
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand: CM Dhami Monitors Chamoli Cloudburst Relief Efforts, Army and SDRF Lead Swift Rescue Operation
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
mp
MP’s Rs3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, Rs5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
FINNOVATION 2025
SBI & IIT Guwahati Celebrate FINNOVATION 2025 Winners in Gurugram, Empowering Young Innovators to Solve Banking Challenges
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT