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Listen to Musahar’s Biwi, Please

part-II ( that is a record of persons involved in previous
crimes) were picked up for interrogation. This was done on
the basis of their past criminal record in the police station.

Much against the advice of police station staff, I
went on verifying their statements narrated as their defence
and went on releasing them. This ultimately left me with
one so-called “veteran criminal” who had ten cases behind
him as per the police record.

Kumar Rajesh Chandra, IPS
Director General, SSB

keep on recounting a 35-year old experience when I was
posted at Nokha police station in Rohtas district during
m
I y district training.
A burglary took place in the night. The case was
reported at police station in the morning. A zealous
probationer grappling for reconciliation between the
textbook knowledge gathered at National Police Academy
Hyderabad and vast experience of old set of officers and men
posted at the Police Station, reached the place of occurrence
with this experienced team. I recorded whatever I observed
and proceeded with the investigation of the case. Now may I noticed a lady in tattered clothes with a young boy
I request you to forget about the investigation (what a way wearing the bare minimum of clothes moving around the
to end a story even before it started). But I request you to police station campus. She was found inquiring as to who
allow me to continue with my story. this Jamadar Assistant Sub Inspector in local parlance)
(
was, whom even the sub inspector saluted (I used to wear
On the advice of old set of officers, a few Musahars
(poor rat-eaters) whose name figured in crime directory IPS and one star on my shoulder). Finally she was convinced
that whoever he was, he was the senior most officer who will
take the final decision of either releasing or forwarding to
jail that“veteran criminal” Who I learnt was her husband.

I found her staring at me. May be she was trying
to muster courage. Finally she decided to straightaway walk
up to me with her child in tow and shot at me, “release my
husband, he is innocent.”

“Okay fine, I’m verifying the statement that he has
made and if his defence is found tenable, he will be enlarged
like other fellows” This was all that I could say because I
hadn’t found anything incriminating against him so far.
She must have sensed the apology in my tone and this must
have emboldened her into firing salvos, “who has dubbed
my husband as ‘veteran’ (veteran criminal)? In one case, one

36 57 Anniversary Issue - 2020
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