2010-batch IPS officer Prabhakar Chaudhary has been transferred once again and sent to Lucknow. He is now posted as Commandant, 32nd Corps PAC, Lucknow.

On 13 March, this year, he was transferred and posted as SSP of Bareilly. But within 5 months, he was transferred again. And now, he has taken over another responsibility.

In the last 8 years, Prabhakar Chaudhary, who has commanded 15 districts, was transferred 18 times. And in his entire 13 years of service so far, he has been transferred 21 times.

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Mr. Chaudhary hails from Ambedkar Nagar. After completing his IPS training at SVPNPA, he joined as an under trainee in Noida as ASP. After that, he was sent to Agra, Jaunpur and then Varanasi as ASP. Then, he became SP City, Kanpur for a short spell. In Jan, 2015, he was appointed as SP Lalitpur. It was his first district as chief of police. Then, in December 2015, he was moved to Intelligence headquarter in Lucknow.

He is the only IPS officer in UP cadre who is a trained NSG commando as well. From PM Modi to CM Yogi, many politicians and senior police officers have praised him for his work.

In his 13 years in service, he has served in various important posts in UP Police, including Superintendent of Police in many districts.

THE FAMOUS INCIDENT

There is a famous incident about him, when he joined as senior SSP, Meerut in June 2021, after the then SSP Ajay Sahni, an IPS officer of 2009 batch and known as an encounter cop, was transferred.

Mr. Chaudhary convened a late night meeting. He had only joined a couple of days earlier. In the meeting, he handed envelopes with thousand rupee notes to every station house officer (SHO) present in the meeting and clearly instructed them that the money was meant to be spent on expenses incurred for refreshments to visitors coming to the police station.

This was not the only incident about his policing with humanity and integrity. There are lots of such incidents which prove that common people trust him and feel safe in his tenure, wherever he has been posted.

In June 2022, when he got transferred from Meerut to Agra, a man was so disturbed by the police officer’s transfer that he threatened to commit suicide by calling the UP Police Emergency Service 112. The young man had said then, “Prabhakar Chowdhary is very good, let him stay in Meerut. In his tenure, police did not take any bribe.”

Once, the officer reached the police station like a complainant and tried to file an FIR for bicycle theft and no policeman could recognize him.

When there was a train accident in Kanpur Dehat, he himself started erecting poles by installing high mask lights. When ambulance did not reach the spot, he sent many injured to the hospital in his own car. In Varanasi, he used to go out on a bicycle in the narrow streets of Kashi, drink tea among the people and take their feedback. This is the reason he became very popular in Varanasi within just 8 months.

CHEMISTRY LECTURER

Mr. Chowdhary did B.Sc. from Allahabad University, then studied LLB. He once said that he wanted to become a chemistry lecturer, but fate took him to UPSC. He became an IPS officer after passing the civil services examination in his very first attempt in CSE -2009.

When he was made the SP of Kanpur Dehat in 2016, he came to join his new posting with just a backpack, like a student. He is a fitness frenzy man and takes great care of his fitness.

THE TRANSFERS

On 30 July, 2023, in Bareilly, a controversy started over the non-traditional route of Kanwar Yatra, and the law and order situation started deteriorating. Then, SSP Chowdhary led from the front. First, he tried to convince the Kanwariyas and banned the non-traditional route. But when the situation did not come under control, he used mild force and lathi-charged the Kanwariyas. After that, in just half an hour, Bareilly city was calm and peaceful and law and order was restored. A big mishap was averted. Everyone lauded Mr. Chowdhary’s efforts. But, the UP government carried out a big reshuffle in UP Police and transferred Mr. Chowdhury, too.

Four hours after the Kanwariya incident happened, the transfer order of Mr. Chowdhary arrived and the IPS officer was made the commander in the 32nd Corps PAC. On March 14, he had taken charge of Bareilly and within 5 months, he was transferred again.

But, he is used to this now. As there is hardly any other IPS officer who has been transferred so many times in his or her short career.

THE FAITH

Mr. Chowdhary has been very efficient while dealing with high profile matters with his old policing style. Be it the case of illegal occupation of SP’s bungalow in Jhansi GRP, Sonbhadra’s Umbha scandal, lawyers’ disturbance in Sitapur, deadlock with local leader in Mathura, or recently trying to stop the nuisance of Kanwariyas in Bareilly, he  has always discharged his duties without compromising with law and order.

Whether someone is a criminal or a big leader of the ruling party, the officer shows zero tolerance towards all criminals and takes prompt action. He is always ready to listen to the public and convenes public hearing as well. He encourages policemen to do good work and take action according to the law on those who misbehave with the police.

THE JOURNEY

In 2015, he took the charge of Lalitpur, a district located in Jhansi Division at the end of south UP. He remained SP of Lalitpur till December 2015 i.e. for about 11 months. After that, he was posted at the Intelligence Headquarters. On January 13, 2016, he was made the police chief of Deoria, where his tenure remained till 18 August 2016.

After Deoria, he was directly made the police chief of Ballia. He  worked there only for 2 months. After Ballia, he was made the SP of Kanpur Dehat. When BJP came to power on 28 April 2017, Mr. Chaudhary was transferred from Kanpur Dehat in just 5 months and sent to ATS. He remained posted in UP ATS till 23 September, 2017.

On 24 September, 2017, Mr. Chowdhary was made the SP of Bijnor district. Even in Bijnor, he could not complete 6 months and was removed from Bijnor on 19 March, 2017. He was appointed as SP of a bigger district, Mathura, just 3 days after his transfer from Bijnor.

His tenure in Mathura was very fruitful for the people as many old cases of loot were solved in Mathura city. But, he was transferred from Mathura within 3 months. This time he was sent to Sitapur. On 30 June, 2018, Prabhakar Chowdhary was made the SP of Sitapur, but from there, too, he was transferred on 8 December, 2018, even before the completion of 6 months. After Sitapur, Mr. Chaudhary was sent to Bulandshahr as SP on 9 December, 2018, but got transferred again after 2 months on 20 February, 2019 and was made the SP of GRP Jhansi.

Here, when the Umbha incident took place in Sonbhadra district, stones were pelted and firing took place between the police and the public in an old dispute of land possession. When the law and order started deteriorating, the government hurriedly made Mr. Chaudhary the SP of Sonbhadra on August 4, 2019. He handled the situation very well.

And, just after 2 months, on 31 October 2019, he was made SSP of Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. After that, he was made the SP of Moradabad till 7 July 2020. After a 9 months’ tenure, he was removed from Moradabad and made SSP of Meerut. He could last only one year in Meerut, till June 25, 2022. After that, he was given the command of a big city like Agra. But even in Agra, he could last only for 5 months and was removed on 28 November 2022.

CBI

It is being said that Mr. Chowdhary may soon be sent on central deputation. A reminder has been given by the CBI to release him 4 times, but the government did not release it. The investigating agency has also sent letters several times to relieve the officer. But, now, after the latest controversy, it is believed that the UP government will soon relieve Prabhakar Chaudhary for central deputation, and he will join the CBI.