There have been a few officers like Mr. MA Ganapathy who have had an unblemished career that too in a politically sensitive state like Uttar Pradesh during communally sensitive times of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and Anti-Mandal Commission agitations. The fact that he was given charge of six districts, including metros like Kanpur, Meerut, and Allahabad, before moving to Uttarakhand cadre after the creation of the new state in 2000, speaks volumes about his efficiency and credibility. In a candid conversation with Indian Masterminds, he shared his secret recipe of being an upright officer.
Please watch the full video by clicking on the following link-
He talks about how there was no riot in any of the districts manned by him. He also reveals the reasons for such a peaceful stint during the turbulent times.
Mr. Ganapathy also talks about his stint as SP CBI, where he investigated the cricket match fixing case, and his investigations led to BCCI imposing a lifetime ban on players like Mohd Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar, and Ajay Jadeja while some other players got away with lighter punishments.
Hailing from Coorg in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh was an alien land for Mr. Ganapathy, but he managed the law and order and crime situation very well before he moved to Uttarakhand cadre after the creation of the new state in 2000. He rose to be the DGP in the state.
Before that, as IG Kumbh Mela area, he conducted the 2010 Mahakumbh in Haridwar. He discusses the strategies he formulated to conduct a peaceful event, though Haridwar has a much smaller mela area than Prayagraj. The interview was recorded before the start of 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh.
Mr. Ganapathy discusses his stint both in the NSG and BCAS, where he took some landmark initiatives. Kindly watch the full interview.
