https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Take the Bull by the Horns

Senior IPS Officer and former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, Mr Vibhuti Narain Rai, is among the rapidly growing voices which have been raising concern over the recent ``political explosion’’ in Mumbai, following the arrest of ``encounter specialist’’ cop Sachin Waze. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr Rai talks about the rot in the system and what all ought to be done to eliminate it.
Indian Masterminds Stories

`There is no trap so deadly as the trap you set for yourself’ (Raymond Chandler, in The Long Goodbye)

Some storms don’t peter out easily. Such as the one triggered by the discovery of 20 loose gelatin sticks outside the Mumbai house of India’s richest man, Mr Mukesh Ambani. This storm has just started to spiral out of control, in the process threatening  the reputation – and possibly the future-  of Maharashtra Government, the carefully curated public persona of NCP supremo Mr Sharad Pawar and bringing to the fore the unholy nexus between unscrupulous politicians and trigger happy cops who go by the fashionable name of `encounter specialists’ in India’s commercial capital.

As Perry Mason, that enormously popular fictitious legal eagle created by Erle Stanley Gardner, would have remarked on the ongoing  Mumbai drama, `the fat is in the fire now’.  What is also noteworthy is that a number of retired IPS officers, including Maharashtra’s own celebrated cop Julio Riberio, have started turning the heat on the “unholy’’ police-politicians nexus. Former IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre who retired as the state DGP, as also a noted author and a man of upright reputation, Mr Vibhuti Narain Rai, also feels the same about the goings on.

Former IPS Officer Mr Vibhuti Narain Rai

CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr Rai says the time has come to cleanse the system and restore people’s faith in good governance. “No doubt, it will require lots of resources, planning and patience. But that’s the price we should be willing to pay if we want to set the things right. Anything less then this and we will be fooling ourselves’’ he said.

But more than anything else, it’s the activities of Mumbai’s disgraced cop and so-called `encounter specialist’ Sachin Waze which has invited the ire of the IPS lobby. Mr Rai feels that people like Waze are the monsters created by the noxious system where politicians and police officials  scratch each others’ backs for mutual benefits. Waze’s arrest, and the susbequent turn of events which would have unnerved even the script writers of Ram Gopal Verma’s acclaimed Bollywood thrillers, has just let the genie out of the bottle.

When the system gets poisoned, nobody remains unaffected. Why, in such situations even the media starts resembling a thumb-sucking infant, trusting each and every smile thrown at it. As Mr Rai points out, if only Sachin Waze had not become drunk with over-confidence, and subsequently made a few costly slips, “he would still be treated like a cult figure by newspapers and television channels, his photo-ops regularly getting splashed all over the print and digital space.’’

Mr Rai speaking at a function

Sachin Waze’s faltering, leading to just transferred Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s sensational allegations of corruption against the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, unleashed a political storm which even a seasoned fire-fighter like Mr Sharad Pawar is finding quite hard to put down.

IT’S A TIP OF THE ICEBERG

According to Mr Rai, however, what has surfaced in Mumbai is just the tip of the iceberg. “And it’s a pity,’’ he says, “that we still do not have a completely law abiding police force in the country. On the contrary, we end up hero worshipping these encounter specialists, hiding their monstrous illegalities, even making films that glorify their so-called bravery.’’ The former DGP of Uttar Pradesh adds that in many cases these encounter specialists are not satisfied with with ill-gotten wealth. “They often become film producers and builders,’’ he says.

A hard-boiled criminal, at times donning a police uniform, is often characterised by a cold-bloodied mentality, points out Mr Rai. Giving a chilling example, from the days when he was a serving IPS officer, he recalled, “I once met such a criminal who had become a successful politician. I asked him how many people he had killed in his life time. He looked at me, gave a loud laugh and replied, `kaun yaad rakhta hai yeh sab kuch’ (who can remember all these things). It was that cold-bloodied laughter, devoid of any human feeling, which I remember to this day.’’

A cold-bloodied mentality, whether in criminals, cops or politicians, can lead to murder and much more. Maharashtra is just waking up to this reality.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
HSL CMD Khatri
Upskill to Stay Ahead: HSL CMD Cmde Khatri’s Call to Maritime Sector at BIMSTEC 2025
IPS A.B
HC Clears Former Top Cop: Andhra Ends All Legal Action Against IPS Venkateswara Rao
Minister Sonowal
Hydrogen Tug Project Gets Boost as Minister Sonowal Backs Hindustan Shipyard (HSL)’s Vision - Details Inside
IOCL and SJVN
PESB Invites Applications for Director Posts in IOCL and SJVN; Deadlines Set for August 11
IREDA logo 1
IREDA Seeks Shareholder Nod to Raise Borrowing Limit to ₹1.5 Lakh Crore; Pushes for Massive RE Financing
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
Punjab Promotes 8 IPS Officers to DGP Rank, Now Has Nation’s Highest Number of Top-Rank Police Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
The Secret of The Secret – How To Make The Universe Conspire For You
AI 171 CRASH
AAIB Initial Probe In AI-171 Crash Questioned By Aviation Experts
Ravi Kapoor
Why Ex-IRS Officer Ravi Kapoor Walked Away from Power
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-14 at 15.58
The Economist Who Became an IFS Officer
How Abhimanyu Gahlaut balanced global economics and civil services dreams to crack UPSC with AIR 38
Disha Dwivedi UPSC
How Disha Dwivedi Conquered UPSC on Her Sixth Attempt
Disha Dwivedi’s UPSC journey from five prelims failures to securing AIR 672 in 2024 showcases strategic...
Sushmitha and Ishwarya Ramanathan
Their Home Was Washed Away — Sushmitha & Ishwarya Built a Legacy Instead
Sushmitha and Ishwarya lost their home to the 2004 tsunami. But with books, belief, and each other, they...
Social Media
Standing Leopard
Leopard Stuns Internet by Standing on Two Legs Like a Meerkat
A rare video of a leopard standing on two legs in Kruger Park stuns viewers and goes viral across social...
G S Roshni
Kerala’s Fearless Forest Officer G.S. Roshni Rescues 16-Foot King Cobra with Bare Hands, Garners Praise & Critique
Beat Forest Officer G.S. Roshni’s first-ever king cobra rescue goes viral, earning her the title of ‘Green...
Kaziranga Baby Elephant
Chotu the Baby Elephant Reunited with Mother in Kaziranga: Retired IFS Officer’s Post Goes Viral
A baby elephant's emotional reunion with its mother in Kaziranga, shared by retired IFS officer Susanta...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
AI 171 CRASH
Ravi Kapoor
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT