Khaki Files

Before getting into the contents of the book, first, why did I pick this book? 

I wanted to have a close understanding of the job nature of an IPS officer before joining the National Police Academy (NPA). Although I've closely interacted with quite a few officers and watched many 'Dabangg' style movies (:p) I didn't fully know what it meant to be an IPS officer. What do they do in their day-to-day lives, how do they solve crimes, handle law and order, and how exciting/unexciting is the job? 

So, when I was searching for books on this subject I came across Khaki files, written by an officer who had a fulfilling career as an IPS. The author, Neeraj Kumar, is a retired IPS officer who served in many distinguished positions including in the CBI and as the Commissioner of Delhi Police. The book is divided into nine chapters, each of which is dedicated to a particular case the officer was directly/indirectly involved in handling. Coincidentally, almost all the cases mentioned are highly famous ones like the 2001 Parliament attack, the Nirbhaya incident, etc. which further piqued my interest.

Does this mean the book is intended only for would-be IPS officers? Definitely NO! If you are someone who loves crime thrillers, this one's for you. What's more! Unlike the usual crime thrillers, this is not fiction. If you want to know the backstory behind the incidents like the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape which shook the nation and how the police could nab the criminals in record time, you must read this. Further, this book also gives a glimpse of how special cells for counter-terrorism work and their paramount role in collecting intelligence and thwarting terror attacks, keeping the nation safe.

The first chapter reveals how the police could uncover the lottery scam that was rampant in 1990s India. It is fascinating to read how a simple FIR from an ordinary worker who was denied his prize money led to the unearthing of a giant multi-million dollar scandal encompassing several parts of the country. This eventually led to the Supreme Court passing directions on the conduct of lotteries and central and state governments enacting stringent regulations regarding the same.

The second chapter is about how enforcement agencies could foil the plans of terrorists to carry out a bomb blast near India Gate in the run-up to Republic Day celebrations, by intercepting suspicious communications. It was thrilling to read how the officer described even minute details like the actual emails shared between terrorists and the decryption techniques police used to decipher the cryptic emails. This chapter and the third chapter on how the police solved the 1993 serial bomb blast case make the reader appreciate the work of intelligence and counter-terrorism wings.

In the 4th chapter, Neeraj Kumar writes about his stint as Director General of Prisons. Here, he writes about his personal interactions with prisoners in the dreaded Tihar jail. It is astonishing to consider that even ruthless criminals are, ultimately, ordinary human beings who perform day-to-day chores and live a seemingly normal life, albeit in prisons.

The fifth chapter mentions how the police could thwart an assassination attempt against two journalists. If not stopped, it would have had far wider ramifications including the possible collapse of the then NDA government. The sixth chapter brings out political interference in the police. Neeraj Kumar, who was then working as the Goa police chief, mentions a couple of standoffs he had with local politicians that provoked their ire. This chapter offers important takeaways to would-be officers on how to deal with political bosses without losing one's ground.

The 7th chapter is an absolute standout and my personal favorite. It delves into a heart-pounding narrative, revealing how the police meticulously hunted down a notorious robbery gang. This gang, part of an erstwhile criminal tribe, had been striking terror into the hearts of Delhi's residents with their audacious nighttime home invasions, mercilessly taking the lives of men, women, children, and the elderly before running off with whatever was found. The popular thriller Khakhee by actor Karthi was based on a similar police chase in Tamil Nadu.

The 8th chapter is about the heart-breaking Nirbhaya incident. It unveils how the police could arrest the first suspect in under 24 hours. A large share of credit for this goes to the field-level officials including constables, and sub-inspectors. This chapter offers close insights into the workings of police including tracing the criminals, examining witnesses, conducting forensics, collecting evidence, filing the chargesheet, and preparing for strong prosecution of criminals in the court of law to ensure their conviction. Towards the end, the author leaves us with a deep thought that makes us wonder how significant is the role of poverty, social inequalities, and the patriarchal nature of our society in the occurrence of crimes like these, and how justifiable is it to squarely blame police for such events?

The last chapter delves into the 2001 Parliament attack. It gives minute-by-minute details of how the events of the day unfolded, the planning that went into this attack, and the motivation behind the strike. The lessons learnt from this assault led to important changes in the security design of the Indian Parliament.

A uniqueness I noticed in Neeraj Kumar's writing style is that he goes on to describe several additional details, not directly relevant to the topic so that the reader can better understand the issue. For instance, in the chapter on the Parliament attack, he gives sufficient space to describe the architecture of the Indian Parliament for us to better understand the terrorists' plan.

Another distinctness is the attention to detail. I was amazed to see how he mentions the names of even field-level constables that helped him solve cases going as far back as the 1990s. Such minute details can sometimes irk the reader and may detract us from the larger picture, but I think from the author's p.o.v, when you are writing a book like this, you better be authentic and factually correct to avoid any criticism or legal challenges.

To conclude, for me, the book justified its name, 'Khaki Files', by giving a closer perspective of the police investigation and by clearly communicating what goes behind solving complex criminal matters. It's a short book (about 250 pages) and I think you should read it too if you have time.